vaults and hidden basements was easy enough,
but Alec wasn’t convinced any of the statues were anything but
man-made. They were remarkable and fascinating, but not what he was
looking for.
Eiji and Jodis had
gone to search one of the vaulted undercrofts of the Abbey for any
kind of gargoyle that might be a clue, and Kennard had searched the
bell tower, while Alec and Cronin searched the Abbey
itself.
Bored with
their lack of findings, Alec took Cronin’s hand and led him, as
regally as he possibly could, to sit in the Coronation Chair. “Your
seat, my king.”
Cronin laughed and the sound echoed fantastically
throughout the high -ceilinged
room. He held his arms out from his body with poise, gracefully
turned, and sat, rather dramatically, on the chair.
Eiji and
Jodis walked into the Abbey, and Alec extended his arm and bowed to
them and announced, “I present to you the King of
Scotland.”
Cronin waved and raised his chin. He laid on a thick
Scottish brogue. “ Aye. Beat
the heart of a king, only for the man at his side.”
Eiji bowed down . “And
the Oscar goes to….”
Kennard cleared his throat from the side of the Abbey. He walked in and gave a
petulant sniff. “I’m sure the Queen of England would be impressed
with that performance.”
Cronin grinned at him. “And I shall
decree, be it noted in script and stone, that all Scots are better
in bed and battle than ye Englishmen.”
Kennard scowled at him. “Of all the
things this country’s Queen would call sacrilege of you sitting in
that chair—not that you’re a vampire, or gay, or even married to an
American—is that you’re a bloody Scot.”
Alec laughed at them. “That’s King of
Scots, thank you very much.”
Kennard rolled his eyes and c hose to ignore them. “I found nothing. Not that I truly
know what to look for. I’ve seen nothing of the like of what Alec
has shown me from his memories.”
“ Nor us ,” Jodis said.
“There’s nothing here.”
Cronin tapped the fragile wooden
armrest. “Except this fabulous chair.”
Alec snorted. “Think it would look
good in our apartment?”
Kennard
hissed. “You’re not taking the Coronation Chair!”
Cronin laughed, stood up , and stepped down from the chair. “Where to
next?”
“ Canterbury Cathedral,” Kennard said.
Cronin put his hand out. “Let’s go then.” Alec, Jodis, and Eiji put their
hands atop of his.
“ Wait!” Kennard cried. He darted up to the Coronation Chair
and sat in it. “Just so the last one to sit in it was
English.”
Cronin laughed again, and when Kennard
came back over and put his hand over the others, Cronin leapt them
to another famous English church.
Canterbury Cathedral was huge. A nother cathedral built in the eleventh century, Gothic
style, and quite frankly, Alec found it daunting. They searched the
outside first, inspecting the hundreds of gargoyles: some large,
some tiny, none of them what they were after.
Inside, t he nave was
huge, spectacular, and nothing short of a masterpiece of its time,
but it was also sparse and cold—not in temperature but in feeling.
Alec stared at the choir screen in particular. “Why are churches so
damn creepy?” he whispered.
Cronin took his hand. “To humble the
sinners, maybe?”
“ To remind the poor that there is untouchable wealth in
organized religion, which they shall give to yet never receive,
or receive an eternity in
damnation,” Kennard added. Then he shrugged. “Or maybe I’m cynical
about such things.”
“ Maybe.” Jodis snorted delicately. “We’ll take the library
and chapel houses to the north,” she said, and she and Eiji
disappeared.
“ I’ll take the south,”
Kennard said.
“ That leaves the crypts
and tombs to us,” Cronin said.
“ Oh, goodie,” Alec
moaned.
“ How does it fare that you, of all vampires, are spooked by
a building?” Cronin asked as they took the stairs down to the
crypt.
“ Maybe there’s some truth in these places warding out
but Alec wasn’t convinced any of the statues were anything but
man-made. They were remarkable and fascinating, but not what he was
looking for.
Eiji and Jodis had
gone to search one of the vaulted undercrofts of the Abbey for any
kind of gargoyle that might be a clue, and Kennard had searched the
bell tower, while Alec and Cronin searched the Abbey
itself.
Bored with
their lack of findings, Alec took Cronin’s hand and led him, as
regally as he possibly could, to sit in the Coronation Chair. “Your
seat, my king.”
Cronin laughed and the sound echoed fantastically
throughout the high -ceilinged
room. He held his arms out from his body with poise, gracefully
turned, and sat, rather dramatically, on the chair.
Eiji and
Jodis walked into the Abbey, and Alec extended his arm and bowed to
them and announced, “I present to you the King of
Scotland.”
Cronin waved and raised his chin. He laid on a thick
Scottish brogue. “ Aye. Beat
the heart of a king, only for the man at his side.”
Eiji bowed down . “And
the Oscar goes to….”
Kennard cleared his throat from the side of the Abbey. He walked in and gave a
petulant sniff. “I’m sure the Queen of England would be impressed
with that performance.”
Cronin grinned at him. “And I shall
decree, be it noted in script and stone, that all Scots are better
in bed and battle than ye Englishmen.”
Kennard scowled at him. “Of all the
things this country’s Queen would call sacrilege of you sitting in
that chair—not that you’re a vampire, or gay, or even married to an
American—is that you’re a bloody Scot.”
Alec laughed at them. “That’s King of
Scots, thank you very much.”
Kennard rolled his eyes and c hose to ignore them. “I found nothing. Not that I truly
know what to look for. I’ve seen nothing of the like of what Alec
has shown me from his memories.”
“ Nor us ,” Jodis said.
“There’s nothing here.”
Cronin tapped the fragile wooden
armrest. “Except this fabulous chair.”
Alec snorted. “Think it would look
good in our apartment?”
Kennard
hissed. “You’re not taking the Coronation Chair!”
Cronin laughed, stood up , and stepped down from the chair. “Where to
next?”
“ Canterbury Cathedral,” Kennard said.
Cronin put his hand out. “Let’s go then.” Alec, Jodis, and Eiji put their
hands atop of his.
“ Wait!” Kennard cried. He darted up to the Coronation Chair
and sat in it. “Just so the last one to sit in it was
English.”
Cronin laughed again, and when Kennard
came back over and put his hand over the others, Cronin leapt them
to another famous English church.
Canterbury Cathedral was huge. A nother cathedral built in the eleventh century, Gothic
style, and quite frankly, Alec found it daunting. They searched the
outside first, inspecting the hundreds of gargoyles: some large,
some tiny, none of them what they were after.
Inside, t he nave was
huge, spectacular, and nothing short of a masterpiece of its time,
but it was also sparse and cold—not in temperature but in feeling.
Alec stared at the choir screen in particular. “Why are churches so
damn creepy?” he whispered.
Cronin took his hand. “To humble the
sinners, maybe?”
“ To remind the poor that there is untouchable wealth in
organized religion, which they shall give to yet never receive,
or receive an eternity in
damnation,” Kennard added. Then he shrugged. “Or maybe I’m cynical
about such things.”
“ Maybe.” Jodis snorted delicately. “We’ll take the library
and chapel houses to the north,” she said, and she and Eiji
disappeared.
“ I’ll take the south,”
Kennard said.
“ That leaves the crypts
and tombs to us,” Cronin said.
“ Oh, goodie,” Alec
moaned.
“ How does it fare that you, of all vampires, are spooked by
a building?” Cronin asked as they took the stairs down to the
crypt.
“ Maybe there’s some truth in these places warding out
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