just
put this in place? Just now?”
Russell grabbed the metal latticework, giving it a shake. “We
won’t be getting through that without a lot of heavy duty tools.”
“Now what?” Steven asked.
“Well, we know two things at least,” Roy said. “Whatever is
behind that door, Percival didn’t want us to find it. So we’re on the right
path.”
“And the other thing?” Steven asked.
“Someone told him we knew about the door,” Eliza said,
looking around at the others. “Someone is a rat.”
Chapter Six
It was four o’clock by the time they left the passageway and
returned to the dining room. It would soon be dusk.
“Well,” Russell said, “I don’t think we’ve got enough time to
make it out. I guess we’re here for the night.”
“I’m a little disturbed about those peepholes,” Eliza said.
“Me too,” said Myrna.
“How do we know someone like Percival isn’t prowling around
outside our bedrooms upstairs?” Eliza asked.
“We don’t, but I think it’s unlikely,” Jonathan said.
“I don’t think it’s unlikely at all,” Russell said. “I think
he’s capable of anything, including that.”
“I suggest we each inspect our rooms carefully,” Steven said.
“It’s not like we’ve got anything better to do,” Eliza said.
“Indeed,” Russell said. “What now, card games for the rest of
the night?”
“I think we ought to try another focus,” Roy said.
The group turned to look at him.
“A focus?” Myrna said. “Are you crazy?”
“I think we need some answers,” Roy said. “There’s something
behind that door in the passageway, and we need to know what it is. A focus
might get us the information without having to go through the door ourselves.”
“And it might accelerate the draining,” Jonathan said. “Bad
idea.”
“We’ve already been tagged,” Roy said. “The damage is done.
Now we need to use our gifts to figure this out, not shy away from them. Not
using them is what Percival wants.”
“What do you think, Eliza?” Steven asked, hoping she’d
support Roy.
“I think it’s our best option,” Eliza said. “With a trance we
might figure it out, but with a focus we’d have a better chance at it.”
“There’s a lot about this house and its previous inhabitants
we don’t know,” Roy said. “We need to learn more if we’re going to locate and
stop the device Percival mentioned. I suggest we meet upstairs and try again. I
think this time we focus on the owner’s son, James. The device and the writings
are his. We need to know more about him.”
“Well, it’s better than sitting here doing nothing,” Myrna
said. “I’m game.”
Jonathan looked reluctant. “OK,” he said, “but I still think
it’s a bad idea.”
“Russell?” Eliza asked. “Will you do it?”
“If everyone else is going to,” Russell said, “sure, I’m in.”
◊
“You all know I’m not as accomplished as you,” Steven said to
the group seated in a circle around him. They were in the upstairs room where
they’d conducted the first focus the day before. “I’m not sure I can enter the
trance, like last time.”
“Actually, I’d prefer you didn’t try,” Roy said. “Turns out
having you in the River observing spared you the tagging, and gave us useful
information about what happened. So don’t sweat it. Just observe in case
something unusual happens again.”
Steven calmed a little and took a deep breath. This time Roy
looked around the room for each person’s ascent before he started the trance
and the focus. Steven entered the flow and saw each of the others as their
trances formed and their focus began.
Eventually a stream of light emerged from each of the others,
and converged in the center of the circle. Steven saw the ball of light form
where the streams met, as before. The ball pulsed and undulated. Steven watched
to see if any dark spots formed as they had the night before, but the ball
stayed constant.
put this in place? Just now?”
Russell grabbed the metal latticework, giving it a shake. “We
won’t be getting through that without a lot of heavy duty tools.”
“Now what?” Steven asked.
“Well, we know two things at least,” Roy said. “Whatever is
behind that door, Percival didn’t want us to find it. So we’re on the right
path.”
“And the other thing?” Steven asked.
“Someone told him we knew about the door,” Eliza said,
looking around at the others. “Someone is a rat.”
Chapter Six
It was four o’clock by the time they left the passageway and
returned to the dining room. It would soon be dusk.
“Well,” Russell said, “I don’t think we’ve got enough time to
make it out. I guess we’re here for the night.”
“I’m a little disturbed about those peepholes,” Eliza said.
“Me too,” said Myrna.
“How do we know someone like Percival isn’t prowling around
outside our bedrooms upstairs?” Eliza asked.
“We don’t, but I think it’s unlikely,” Jonathan said.
“I don’t think it’s unlikely at all,” Russell said. “I think
he’s capable of anything, including that.”
“I suggest we each inspect our rooms carefully,” Steven said.
“It’s not like we’ve got anything better to do,” Eliza said.
“Indeed,” Russell said. “What now, card games for the rest of
the night?”
“I think we ought to try another focus,” Roy said.
The group turned to look at him.
“A focus?” Myrna said. “Are you crazy?”
“I think we need some answers,” Roy said. “There’s something
behind that door in the passageway, and we need to know what it is. A focus
might get us the information without having to go through the door ourselves.”
“And it might accelerate the draining,” Jonathan said. “Bad
idea.”
“We’ve already been tagged,” Roy said. “The damage is done.
Now we need to use our gifts to figure this out, not shy away from them. Not
using them is what Percival wants.”
“What do you think, Eliza?” Steven asked, hoping she’d
support Roy.
“I think it’s our best option,” Eliza said. “With a trance we
might figure it out, but with a focus we’d have a better chance at it.”
“There’s a lot about this house and its previous inhabitants
we don’t know,” Roy said. “We need to learn more if we’re going to locate and
stop the device Percival mentioned. I suggest we meet upstairs and try again. I
think this time we focus on the owner’s son, James. The device and the writings
are his. We need to know more about him.”
“Well, it’s better than sitting here doing nothing,” Myrna
said. “I’m game.”
Jonathan looked reluctant. “OK,” he said, “but I still think
it’s a bad idea.”
“Russell?” Eliza asked. “Will you do it?”
“If everyone else is going to,” Russell said, “sure, I’m in.”
◊
“You all know I’m not as accomplished as you,” Steven said to
the group seated in a circle around him. They were in the upstairs room where
they’d conducted the first focus the day before. “I’m not sure I can enter the
trance, like last time.”
“Actually, I’d prefer you didn’t try,” Roy said. “Turns out
having you in the River observing spared you the tagging, and gave us useful
information about what happened. So don’t sweat it. Just observe in case
something unusual happens again.”
Steven calmed a little and took a deep breath. This time Roy
looked around the room for each person’s ascent before he started the trance
and the focus. Steven entered the flow and saw each of the others as their
trances formed and their focus began.
Eventually a stream of light emerged from each of the others,
and converged in the center of the circle. Steven saw the ball of light form
where the streams met, as before. The ball pulsed and undulated. Steven watched
to see if any dark spots formed as they had the night before, but the ball
stayed constant.
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