When they made it to the airport, Dolores and Sterling checked in their luggage. They had arrived early and had time to explore. As they walked through the terminal, Sterling struck up a conversation with a pilot on the way to his flight.
Sterling said, “I’m going to our lake house today. If I was a pilot, I’d travel there every week.”
The pilot asked Dolores, “Where are you traveling?” She told him.
He looked at Sterling and said, “You might be on my airplane today buddy!” Sterling cheered. The pilot continued, “If you are, then I’ll show you the cockpit where the pilots sit to fly the plane.”
Sterling nodded. “That would be cool! I hope I’m on your plane.”
The pilot said, “I need to hurry. I don’t want to miss my flight!” He went on ahead.
Dolores picked up a few magazines at the newsstand. They continued walking to the gate to wait before boarding the airplane. When the personnel finally called everyone to board the plane, Dolores and Sterling took their place in line.
Dolores thought she heard a familiar voice call her name. When she turned around, she couldn’t believe her eyes. She blushed and waved back to the man she’d been dreaming about earlier. Surprised to see Hudson, she said, “I didn’t know you were traveling this weekend.”
“Well, I knew you were also traveling but I didn’t know you were flying. What a coincidence.”
She agreed. “Yes, it is.”
Sterling looked at the man and asked, “Who’s that Mama?”
Dolores whispered back, “A friend who works on political campaigns.”
When they boarded the plane, the pilot stopped Sterling and asked if he still wanted to see the cockpit. Sterling was excited by the offer. He followed the stewardess to the front of the plane. Dolores was asked to stand out of the way and wait. She tried not to appear to be too anxious when her friend walked up the corridor.
Once Hudson entered the plane, he stepped aside with her in the tight quarters and struck up a conversation. She told him about the pilot giving Sterling a tour of the cockpit. He asked her where their seats were. She pointed down the aisle.
He frowned. “Well, I’m up front in first class.”
Hudson turned to the stewardess and asked if there was room to upgrade Dolores and Sterling’s tickets to first class. Dolores protested, but he pressed the issue. The stewardess checked then said that the move was possible. She sent him back to the gate to upgrade the tickets. When Hudson returned, he had two upgraded tickets for them to all sit together. Dolores smiled and thanked him. When Sterling heard the news, he was excited because he’d never flown first class before.
When the plane arrived at their destination, they thanked Mr. Locke. He helped Dolores retrieve their luggage. Then Hudson joined them on the shuttle to pick up the rental car. After he put their luggage in the car, Dolores thanked him again. They said goodbye. Sterling waved to Hudson as Dolores drove from the lot.
Dolores and Sterling sang with the songs playing on the radio all the way to the lake house. When they pulled up to the house, Sterling became very excited. As soon as she parked the car, he jumped out then ran around to the back of the car, impatiently waiting for his luggage. Dolores stepped out and gave him the keys to the house.
“Why don’t you let me get the luggage, and you can open the door?” He agreed.
Sterling opened the door then returned to help her. She thanked him as he brought the keys back to her. They took the luggage pieces to their rooms and unpacked.
Dolores walked through the house. She was proud of what she had accomplished. The lake house was no longer an eyesore. With Ruthie’s help it was becoming a dream home. She breathed a sigh of relief. This house was so peaceful. Time without Joseph would be welcome. After having a snack with Sterling, she picked up the phone to call her good friend Ruthie. Dolores wanted to let her know they had made it to their destination safely.
Chapter 60
Virgil looked at the block of wood he was whittling on the front porch. He felt a gentle breeze blowing and heard the wind chimes create a melody. He stopped carving. Virgil glanced at his hands and reflected on the creation he was holding. He set the carving tool on the table then placed the unfinished masterpiece beside it. Virgil leaned back in his chair. Looking out into the distance, he stared at the carved bridge in front of his house.
Virgil decided he was thirsty. He stood and stretched his arms above his head, then walked toward the creek to get a drink from the cold box. Virgil admired the view from the bridge as he reached for the rope hanging from a pulley. The rope stretched deep into the stream that was ice cold year round. It provided a convenient way for him to keep things refrigerated. He pulled on the rope to hoist a sealed cube from the stream to the top of the railing. After Virgil opened the cube’s seal, he withdrew a container that had berry juice. He closed the box making sure it was resealed. He lowered it back into the water. Then he went back to sit down on his porch. After he drank the juice, Virgil suddenly became tired. He put his head back, rocked in his chair until he drifted off and took a nap.
He didn’t know how long he’d been napping, when he was awakened by the faint sound of whistling coming from the forest beyond the bridge. Virgil rubbed his eyes. He could hardly believe he had a visitor. He stood and straightened his clothes. Virgil reached for the walking stick that was leaning against the porch railing.
It came to life. “Who are you expecting?”
Virgil shrugged. “I don’t know.”
Virgil stepped off the porch and began walking toward the bridge to meet the mystery guest. He put on his warmest smile as he walked toward the sweet sight of company. Virgil stopped in the middle of the bridge, just in time to see his visitor emerge from the forest and wave. Virgil returned the wave and continued across the bridge still unsure of who had come to the kingdom.
When the man drew close enough for Virgil to recognize, he said, “Welcome back, Gabriel. I’m so glad to have company. This is a pleasant surprise. I didn’t expect you back for another five years.”
Gabriel looked sheepish as he said, “Well, plans change sometimes. Once I arrived home, I started thinking about this amazing place. I decided to come back to visit and explore.”
Virgil’s face lit up. “I couldn’t be happier. I’d love the company.” He looked in the direction of his home. “I’ll grab you a cold pouch of berry juice. We can talk on the covered porch.”
They walked back to the stream. Virgil leaned his walking stick against the railing. He used the pulley to bring the icebox up from the cold stream. He took out two pouches and handed them to Gabriel. Then he resealed the box and lowered it back into the water until he could no longer see it.
Virgil grasped the walking stick and took a pouch from Gabriel. The two men walked in a comfortable silence back to the front porch. Gabriel set down his piece of luggage and the walking stick he had received after the coronation. They each sat on a rocking chair. Gabriel had worked up a thirst so he opened his drink and took a couple of sips.
Virgil asked, “Can I get you something to eat?”
Gabriel shook his head. “No thank you. This is good.” He looked at the pouch.
Virgil responded, “My favorite.”
Gabriel took another sip of his drink. “I can see why.
“Virgil, to be honest, I don’t know why I came here.”
“The Whispering Forest has its mysterious ways of beckoning to us all. Tell me how it happened, if you don’t mind.”
Gabriel took another gulp of the berry juice. He looked out into the forest and said, “When I arrived home, I looked around and realized there was nothing I cared about. I think the answers I’ve been searching for my whole life might be here. I figured if I didn’t come back I’d just keep being a drifter, doing nothing of importance, going nowhere in particular.”
“I see.” He looked out at the forest too, as if an answer might magically materialize for Gabriel. It did not.
They sa
t in silence and were at peace listening to the natural sounds of the land, which were to Gabriel a different kind of sensation. At that moment he realized he didn’t know the types of flora and fauna that existed in the forest on Bridgeiro. However at that particular time he was more alive, his senses more alert than they had ever been on Earth.
Chapter 61
After leaving his office, Dimitrios walked back to his house. He spent the evening pacing back and forth from room to room. He took Reiko from the vault and held the tiny sphere tightly in his hand. Dimitrios was careful, fighting the urge to put Reiko in his pocket or set it down anywhere. He was all too aware of the fact, that given a chance, the thing could and would roll away to make its way back to Wayland at any cost. Wayland had previously confided in him how it had escaped Anjoleah.
Dimitrios rubbed Reiko between his hands creating friction that at times became uncomfortably hot. At that point he blew on the device to cool it down. Then he held it in his closed fist as he continued to pace. Dimitrios kept trying to figure out why he couldn’t remember events. It was ludicrous that he couldn’t unlock the files in his brain to connect the dots of his memory lapse. Dimitrios was struggling with the realization that he might have to rely on Reiko to give him answers that he should have been able to retrieve himself. Not being in control of his very own mind, memories or thoughts was terribly frustrating. He wondered if he was going insane. The thought of insanity drove him closer to the edge. Dimitrios paced until his legs shook then he found himself sitting on the couch. He’d stand to pace some more and again discover that he was sitting on one of the chairs. He stood and continued pacing over and over again repeating in his head the contents in the file marked 290473-4j.
The only continuous image Dimitrios seemed to have in his brain was of an ancient artifact puzzle he had acquired years before that he’d never been able to decipher. He hated that puzzle, yet loved it at the same time. The puzzle was missing one piece making it impossible to solve. What was driving him to distraction was the fact that at one time, he was so very close to being able to solve that particular ancient puzzle.
Many years ago, an archaeologist friend introduced him to Pazel Moriel and his lovely wife. During the course of the evening Dimitrios explained his frustration with trying to find a solution to an ancient puzzle. Annalise became very interested in his story because she was the curator for a world-renowned museum and was in contact with many ancient artifacts. Many collectors from different countries came to her with stories of ancient pieces that they possessed. Sojourners, who played the Universal Game and knew her personally, would also tell her about relics they had collected from throughout the universe.
Several months later Annalise contacted Dimitrios and told him about an archaeologist who came to the museum to talk to her. The gentleman claimed to possess a lone piece to an ancient puzzle. The man mentioned that it had once belonged to a wolvezor wotonitu. Annalise admitted that she wasn’t at all familiar with the wolvezor or their emperors named the wotonitu, and that not much was actually known about the creatures. The gentleman had confided that he suspected the puzzle piece had been stolen. He told her that since it had been in his possession, the piece had brought him nothing but bad luck. He’d taken the artifact out of its box and shown it to her. She’d put on her examiner gloves to appraise the amulet. Annalise told the archaeologist she knew a man that she suspected might have answers for them.
Dimitrios grew very excited when Annalise finished her story. When he heard her description of the amulet, Dimitrios was fairly certain it was the missing piece he needed to complete his puzzle. He asked Annalise to arrange a meeting with the gentleman so he could examine the artifact. She agreed to help if the man returned to see her.
Later that week Annalise met with the archaeologist and set up an appointment for the three of them to meet. She asked to examine the amulet again. As Annalise held the ancient piece in her gloved hand, she captured its image on her device. She returned the amulet and gave the gentleman directions to a safe location where they could meet and talk. The man was sweating when he confided that he was willing to negotiate the sale of the piece for a reasonable price in order to get rid of it once and for all. She agreed that she’d pass on that information. After they parted company, Annalise returned to her office.
Annalise left the museum and hurried to several places in the Hub in search of Dimitrios. She was out of breath when she entered his office. His secretary at that time told her that Mr. Kulakov was in an important meeting. Annalise decided to wait in his lobby. As time went by, she became desperate for them to make the appointment with the archaeologist. As soon as his meeting ended, she rushed over to Dimitrios who had walked his visitor out to the lobby. Annalise was panicked as she explained that she needed him to come with her immediately, or they were going to miss an important appointment.
He agreed to accompany her. As they walked through the building, Annalise explained to him what she had arranged. Dimitrios gasped when he saw the rendering she had taken of the artifact. After seeing the image he became hopeful, believing the relic could possibly be the long lost puzzle piece for which he had been searching. He briefly contemplated about the times he had tried to solve that blasted thing after it had come into his life. He was cautiously optimistic that this amulet might just have the right specifications to fit into his puzzle. Dimitrios certainly recognized the outline of it the second he saw it. It would be hard not to, since he’d worked the puzzle for decades. It was the only puzzle he’d never been able to solve. Dimitrios felt the excitement build as he thought that the solution to the puzzle could shortly be at hand. He was praying that they would find the man at the meeting’s location, because Annalise had no idea where to find him since the archaeologist was the one who had contacted her.
When they exited the building, they stepped on his disk and flew to the meeting site. No one was waiting at the specified location. The man had left already, or he’d never shown up in the first place. They took a guess as to which direction he might have gone and searched the crowded streets for him from the skyway.
When they spotted the gentleman they landed, Annalise approached him. She explained why they had been late. The man seemed relieved to see her. They backtracked together toward the safe place where they could discuss the amulet.
Dimitrios remembered a distinct moment during their walk when a beautiful young woman came out from a row of shops without looking where she was heading. She ran forcefully into the archaeologist. The gentleman stumbled and fell backward. She grabbed for his coat to keep him from falling over. Once she realized he was steady on his feet, the young woman made a fuss apologizing. Dimitrios took a good look at her and could somehow tell the young woman was a fake. He didn’t know why but he sensed that about her. She was gorgeous but a phony. She wore a necklace that resembled a snake with eyes that locked into his gaze and almost hypnotized him.
The gentleman reassured her that he was fine. When the young woman left, they continued walking to the safe meeting place. Once they arrived at the destination they sat down. Annalise disclosed Dimitrios’ name. The man seemed relieved to be talking to someone who might finally be able to give him answers. The archaeologist explained to Dimitrios in more detail, the amulet’s history and the curse he felt he was under with the thing. Dimitrios noticed the man had stopped sweating, that his mood had improved since they arrived. The man breathed a sigh of relief as he reached in his pocket to take out the amulet. He immediately discovered the amulet’s box was gone.
The gentleman apologized profusely as he searched his pockets for the box that was no longer on him. He was at a loss. Dimitrios was puzzled until he replayed the incident once again of the beautiful young woman who had run into the man earlier. The archaeologist had been the victim of a clever pickpocket. Dimitrios couldn’t believe his bad luck and almost wanted to scream, because he’d been so very close to solving the sacred puzzle that had eluded him for so long.
There was
nothing more for Dimitrios to do but thank the man and end the meeting. He kept the image of the artifact. Annalise never asked him to return it. She had reassured him that she was not at all interested in the wolvezors nor would her museum ever be interested. The museum could never display any objects from another universe. Annalise promised that in the event she should run across another item of interest she would contact him.
Dimitrios knew that he was fortunate to be acquainted with Annalise Moriel. No other curator could have helped him with an artifact from another universe. He knew that the Bridgeiro’s government didn’t yet recognize the Universal Game and its contact with other planets in the universe.
It wasn’t until many years later that the Sojourners’ government cautiously began to even listen to their young prime minster, Anthony, about the potential of the Universal Game and how it might be wise to explore this new realm for the obvious reasons that he spelled out to them. Anthony was a game player. His wealthy family controlled a large share of the game at the time. Since then, as far as Dimitrios knew, Anthony discontinued playing. Anthony was too wrapped up in the position he currently held as prime minister. He’d told Dimitrios at one point that he’d given his proxy for the game to a trusted family member.
Later on, that dreadfully depressing day grew even worse when the archaeologist was discovered—dead, by Anjoleah. She had brought the discovery to his attention personally, when she requested his presence on the scene. Apparently the man had Annalise’s curator card in his pocket. Dimitrios shook his head at the irony of that event. The man had the card, but not the box that held the amulet. The archaeologist was possibly killed for something he no longer possessed.
Return of the Clonsayee Page 31
