lightly on the lips. “That’s what I’m here for, okay?”
Dracup squeezed her hand and forced a smile. “Yes. Thanks. I know.”
Farrell was diplomatically looking out of the window. “You goin’ to take another look at the timepiece, or what?”
They gathered on the top landing around the clock. “Kind of appropriate, wouldn’t you say?” Farrell said, running his fingers up and down the dark mahogany.
“What’s that?”
“Your grandfather leaving his messages in a grandfather clock.”
“Very astute, Farrell,” Dracup said. “But it’s the time that’s significant. Look.” He pointed at the hands, stiffened into their positions by the passing of the years.
“That’d be seven minutes past seven by my reckoning all right,” Farrell said.
“Exactly. That’s what Churchill was telling us.”
“But how do we know the hands haven’t moved since your grandfather placed the note in the clock?” Sara asked.
Dracup thought for a moment. “We don’t. But there’s no indication that this has been working at all in recent times. The only person who would have bothered to do anything with it was my aunt – and she clearly hasn’t. Besides, apart from Churchill there’s something else that makes me pretty sure that the hands are as Theodore left them.”
Sara shook her head. “Sorry. You’ve lost me now.”
“The number seven has great significance in Jewish scripture. And as we appear to be dealing with the legacy of a man who was rescued from a flood by the God of the Jewish scriptures, the use of the number seven is curiously appropriate.”
“Sure is,” Farrell said. “In the Old Testament seven makes an appearance right away. Creation in seven days, then there’s seven days in the week. Also seven graces, seven deadly sins, seven divisions in the Lord’s Prayer and seven ages in the life of man. Among the Hebrews every seventh year was sabbatical, and seven times seven years was the jubilee. The three great Jewish feasts lasted seven days, and between the first and second were seven weeks.” Farrell paused briefly, then added, “Oh yeah, the Levitical purifications lasted seven days too.”
Sara laughed aloud. “I’ll take your word for it. Is that it?”
“Let’s see.” Farrell looked heavenwards as if for inspiration. “Ah, not quite. Naaman was commanded to dip seven times in the river Jordan to be cured of leprosy. The prophet Elijah sent his servant seven times to look out for rain. Ten times seven Israelites went to Egypt, and the exile lasted the same number of years. There were ten times seven elders. And Pharaoh in his dream saw seven years for each of his wives. My favourite story was the fall of Jericho,” Farrell smiled fondly at the recollection, “when seven priests with seven trumpets marched round Jericho once every day and then seven times on the seventh day. Then the walls came down.”
Dracup looked at Farrell and shook his head slowly. “All right, Farrell, we get the picture. But these sevens mean something a little closer to home.” As he uttered the last word, Dracup had a thought. Home. His grandfather’s home. It had been sold, but maybe... The clock would have been in situ at the old house, not his aunt’s, when Theodore had left these clues. Dial a close shave . What had been his grandfather’s address? 14 St Andrew’s Close . “I think we’re looking at something left at his old address.” Dracup felt a surge of excitement. “Sara – you found some old photos in the bureau? I need to see them.”
“They were just some old black and whites,” Sara said.
“But they were outdoor photos? Of the garden, weren’t they?”
“I think so.”
Dracup bounded down the stairs into the front room. He seized the pile of photos and papers from the open bureau. Where was the garden shot?
“Hey. Careful – I have a system going here,” Sara said, hard on Dracup’s heels.
“Don’t worry. I’m just after – ah. Here.” Dracup
Dracup squeezed her hand and forced a smile. “Yes. Thanks. I know.”
Farrell was diplomatically looking out of the window. “You goin’ to take another look at the timepiece, or what?”
They gathered on the top landing around the clock. “Kind of appropriate, wouldn’t you say?” Farrell said, running his fingers up and down the dark mahogany.
“What’s that?”
“Your grandfather leaving his messages in a grandfather clock.”
“Very astute, Farrell,” Dracup said. “But it’s the time that’s significant. Look.” He pointed at the hands, stiffened into their positions by the passing of the years.
“That’d be seven minutes past seven by my reckoning all right,” Farrell said.
“Exactly. That’s what Churchill was telling us.”
“But how do we know the hands haven’t moved since your grandfather placed the note in the clock?” Sara asked.
Dracup thought for a moment. “We don’t. But there’s no indication that this has been working at all in recent times. The only person who would have bothered to do anything with it was my aunt – and she clearly hasn’t. Besides, apart from Churchill there’s something else that makes me pretty sure that the hands are as Theodore left them.”
Sara shook her head. “Sorry. You’ve lost me now.”
“The number seven has great significance in Jewish scripture. And as we appear to be dealing with the legacy of a man who was rescued from a flood by the God of the Jewish scriptures, the use of the number seven is curiously appropriate.”
“Sure is,” Farrell said. “In the Old Testament seven makes an appearance right away. Creation in seven days, then there’s seven days in the week. Also seven graces, seven deadly sins, seven divisions in the Lord’s Prayer and seven ages in the life of man. Among the Hebrews every seventh year was sabbatical, and seven times seven years was the jubilee. The three great Jewish feasts lasted seven days, and between the first and second were seven weeks.” Farrell paused briefly, then added, “Oh yeah, the Levitical purifications lasted seven days too.”
Sara laughed aloud. “I’ll take your word for it. Is that it?”
“Let’s see.” Farrell looked heavenwards as if for inspiration. “Ah, not quite. Naaman was commanded to dip seven times in the river Jordan to be cured of leprosy. The prophet Elijah sent his servant seven times to look out for rain. Ten times seven Israelites went to Egypt, and the exile lasted the same number of years. There were ten times seven elders. And Pharaoh in his dream saw seven years for each of his wives. My favourite story was the fall of Jericho,” Farrell smiled fondly at the recollection, “when seven priests with seven trumpets marched round Jericho once every day and then seven times on the seventh day. Then the walls came down.”
Dracup looked at Farrell and shook his head slowly. “All right, Farrell, we get the picture. But these sevens mean something a little closer to home.” As he uttered the last word, Dracup had a thought. Home. His grandfather’s home. It had been sold, but maybe... The clock would have been in situ at the old house, not his aunt’s, when Theodore had left these clues. Dial a close shave . What had been his grandfather’s address? 14 St Andrew’s Close . “I think we’re looking at something left at his old address.” Dracup felt a surge of excitement. “Sara – you found some old photos in the bureau? I need to see them.”
“They were just some old black and whites,” Sara said.
“But they were outdoor photos? Of the garden, weren’t they?”
“I think so.”
Dracup bounded down the stairs into the front room. He seized the pile of photos and papers from the open bureau. Where was the garden shot?
“Hey. Careful – I have a system going here,” Sara said, hard on Dracup’s heels.
“Don’t worry. I’m just after – ah. Here.” Dracup
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