uncle knows how to have a good time.”
Winn didn’t
respond, so after a few moments David simply said, “Goodnight.”
“Goodnight,”
Winn replied. He heard the door close and latch, and the soft sounds of David
walking back downstairs.
He
remembered turning over in bed, considering for a brief second if he should get
up and take off his clothes. Then he was out.
▪ ▪ ▪
“You want us
to do what?” Winn said, wiping his hands over his face, trying to wake up.
David sat across the table from him, staring down at an ebony-sided box Carma
had placed there. It had small gold hinges. David reached for it, but Carma
stopped him.
“Don’t open
it yet,” she said. “Only once you get there, and only in moonlight.”
“Can I have
some coffee?” Winn said, standing up from the table and wandering toward the
kitchen. “I don’t think I’m quite awake yet.”
“What’s
inside?” David asked Carma.
Carma’s lips
pinched together tightly for a moment. “Small…” she started, then paused.
“They’re little…things.”
“Small
things?” David repeated.
“Yes, small
things with a point on one end,” Carma continued. “You wander over the field
until the box vibrates in your hands. That’ll tell you where to plant.”
“Plant?”
Winn asked, returning with a full mug and taking several gulps. “You want us to
dig holes?”
“No,” Carma
said. “When the box vibrates, drop and remove one of the…” she paused again,
and Winn could see her discomfort. “Remove one of the things from the box, and press
it down into the soil until it’s completely covered by dirt. No part of it can
be left visible. You don’t need to dig a hole. It’s best not to disturb the
ground in that area too much. They’ve got a sharp tip on one side, so they
should sink into the earth easily.”
“What’s this
about 2:08?” David asked.
“You must
start precisely at 2:08 tonight,” Carma replied. “And you must finish before
2:40. You must be absolutely precise about the timeframe. Start exactly at
2:08, not before, and when it reaches 2:40 you can stop, because any you plant
after that time won’t matter. So please try to empty the box and plant them all
between 2:08 and 2:40. You’ll need to move quickly, cover as much ground as you
can. Use the box to guide you.”
“Where
again?” Winn asked.
“The field
just north and west of the memorial,” Carma said.
“I don’t
know where that is,” Winn replied.
“I do,”
David said. “It’s a half hour up Snow Canyon. We’d need to leave St. George by
1:30 to make it there in time.”
“What if
people see us?” Winn asked.
“They
won’t,” Carma said. “Too remote. It’s low risk. Don’t use flashlights, though.”
“And this is
going to release Deem?” Winn asked, looking at Carma.
“Yes,” she
replied emphatically. “It’s Lyman’s plan. It’s been in the works for a very
long time; many, many years. So it’s critical that you follow my instructions
exactly. What’s inside the box will fail if you expose it to sunlight. You must
only open it after 2:08, when you’re ready to plant.”
“Alright,”
Winn replied, rubbing his face again.
“No, please,
this is so important to Lyman, and to Deem,” Carma said, appearing a little
agitated. “I need to know from both of you that you understand this exactly.”
She turned to David.
“Don’t open
the box until we’re there and it’s 2:08,” David said. “Walk around the field.
When the box vibrates, drop into the River, take out whatever’s inside, and
stick it down into the ground until it’s covered. Plant as many as we can until
2:40, then leave.”
Carma let
out a lungful of air. “Yes,” she said. “You have it. That’s precisely what has
to happen. Oh, also very important: you hold the box, David.” She turned to
Winn. “And you plant them. You’ll make sure it happens this way?”
“If this
will release Deem,” Winn said, “Yes, I’ll
Winn didn’t
respond, so after a few moments David simply said, “Goodnight.”
“Goodnight,”
Winn replied. He heard the door close and latch, and the soft sounds of David
walking back downstairs.
He
remembered turning over in bed, considering for a brief second if he should get
up and take off his clothes. Then he was out.
▪ ▪ ▪
“You want us
to do what?” Winn said, wiping his hands over his face, trying to wake up.
David sat across the table from him, staring down at an ebony-sided box Carma
had placed there. It had small gold hinges. David reached for it, but Carma
stopped him.
“Don’t open
it yet,” she said. “Only once you get there, and only in moonlight.”
“Can I have
some coffee?” Winn said, standing up from the table and wandering toward the
kitchen. “I don’t think I’m quite awake yet.”
“What’s
inside?” David asked Carma.
Carma’s lips
pinched together tightly for a moment. “Small…” she started, then paused.
“They’re little…things.”
“Small
things?” David repeated.
“Yes, small
things with a point on one end,” Carma continued. “You wander over the field
until the box vibrates in your hands. That’ll tell you where to plant.”
“Plant?”
Winn asked, returning with a full mug and taking several gulps. “You want us to
dig holes?”
“No,” Carma
said. “When the box vibrates, drop and remove one of the…” she paused again,
and Winn could see her discomfort. “Remove one of the things from the box, and press
it down into the soil until it’s completely covered by dirt. No part of it can
be left visible. You don’t need to dig a hole. It’s best not to disturb the
ground in that area too much. They’ve got a sharp tip on one side, so they
should sink into the earth easily.”
“What’s this
about 2:08?” David asked.
“You must
start precisely at 2:08 tonight,” Carma replied. “And you must finish before
2:40. You must be absolutely precise about the timeframe. Start exactly at
2:08, not before, and when it reaches 2:40 you can stop, because any you plant
after that time won’t matter. So please try to empty the box and plant them all
between 2:08 and 2:40. You’ll need to move quickly, cover as much ground as you
can. Use the box to guide you.”
“Where
again?” Winn asked.
“The field
just north and west of the memorial,” Carma said.
“I don’t
know where that is,” Winn replied.
“I do,”
David said. “It’s a half hour up Snow Canyon. We’d need to leave St. George by
1:30 to make it there in time.”
“What if
people see us?” Winn asked.
“They
won’t,” Carma said. “Too remote. It’s low risk. Don’t use flashlights, though.”
“And this is
going to release Deem?” Winn asked, looking at Carma.
“Yes,” she
replied emphatically. “It’s Lyman’s plan. It’s been in the works for a very
long time; many, many years. So it’s critical that you follow my instructions
exactly. What’s inside the box will fail if you expose it to sunlight. You must
only open it after 2:08, when you’re ready to plant.”
“Alright,”
Winn replied, rubbing his face again.
“No, please,
this is so important to Lyman, and to Deem,” Carma said, appearing a little
agitated. “I need to know from both of you that you understand this exactly.”
She turned to David.
“Don’t open
the box until we’re there and it’s 2:08,” David said. “Walk around the field.
When the box vibrates, drop into the River, take out whatever’s inside, and
stick it down into the ground until it’s covered. Plant as many as we can until
2:40, then leave.”
Carma let
out a lungful of air. “Yes,” she said. “You have it. That’s precisely what has
to happen. Oh, also very important: you hold the box, David.” She turned to
Winn. “And you plant them. You’ll make sure it happens this way?”
“If this
will release Deem,” Winn said, “Yes, I’ll
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