him.”
“How can a ring protect anything? Doesn’t make much sense if you think about it, does it?”
“Real magic hardly ever does, angel.”
“Magic? Come on, Gramps…we already went through all this good-and-evil mumbo jumbo. I’m just going camping for a few—”
“Humor me, okay? That’s all I ask. My father swore this ring is blessed by the Holy Spirit and it’s been passed down through our family for hundreds of years. The Knights Templar believed in what they called White Magic, a power source they could use to battle evil in all its forms. My father believed it too, and even though I know even less about this…what did you call it…mumbo jumbo, than he did, I believe in it too.”
“Fine, I’ll wear it if it makes you happier, but I still don’t quite see how it can do anything. Does a laser beam shoot out of the eye if I’m attacked by a madman?”
“Don’t joke about things like that. And I doubt it, no. All I know is there was also a matching amulet to this ring that my father used to carry around and pray over all the time. They both were infused with White Magic, and he believed they’d keep our family safe in times of trouble.”
“What happened to the amulet? Do you still have it?”
“From what I was told, it’s hanging on a chain around the neck of Joshua Miller. My father always told me the power of the talisman was the only thing that contained the reverend that night, and that without it the elders might have all been dead.”
“Wow! Cool story anyway, whether it’s true or not. Think it’s still there? Inside the church, I mean?”
“Probably, yeah, unless someone has found it before you get there. You can’t touch it though. I can’t stop you from going and looking for the treasure…hell, I can’t even blame you for trying that, but you’ve got to promise me you’ll leave that necklace alone. Please, I’m begging you. You’re probably right that my dad was full of baloney and his head was full of nonsense, but why tempt fate? It isn’t worth it. Not in a place like Miller’s Grove, it isn’t. Can you give your old grandfather that much, at least?”
Kelly didn’t even have to think about what she wouldsay. Of course she would agree not to touch the talisman. Anything that would calm Malcolm down and let him sleep easier while she was away. Miller’s Grove was his private nightmare, not hers, but if she could ease the burden on his shoulders and put a smile back on his wonderful wrinkled face, she’d have agreed to almost anything. “I promise, Gramps. And I’ll wear the ring too. Every second, okay?”
Malcolm nodded and gave his granddaughter a big hug. “Thanks for listening, angel. I know I’m a stupid old coot, but I’m just worried about you. Be careful. I don’t give a damn about the treasure…just come back to me, okay?”
“I will. We’ll have that coffee and I’ll let you know what we found.”
They hugged again and Malcolm walked back to the waiting taxi. Just before he climbed in the backseat, Kelly blew him a kiss and shouted out, “Hey, who dresses you in the morning anyway? You look pretty funky today.”
Malcolm laughed. “Oh well, what can you do? I was in a hurry. I’m going home and climbing back into my comfy jammies again…and there’s nothin’ you or anyone else can do about it. What do you think of that, smarty-pants?”
“Sounds good. Stay out of trouble till I get back.”
“I’ll try. See ya.”
With that he was gone, the cabdriver tooting the horn as they pulled away. Kelly wasn’t positive, but it looked to her like Malcolm was starting to cry as the taxi sped out of sight. She hoped that whatever reason he’d had for coming here this morning, he could at least find some inner peace that he’d been able to speak his mind and get it off his chest. Glancing down at the big silver and gold ring on her finger, she sighed and turned to face her friends. Everyonewas silently watching her, even Pat’s
“How can a ring protect anything? Doesn’t make much sense if you think about it, does it?”
“Real magic hardly ever does, angel.”
“Magic? Come on, Gramps…we already went through all this good-and-evil mumbo jumbo. I’m just going camping for a few—”
“Humor me, okay? That’s all I ask. My father swore this ring is blessed by the Holy Spirit and it’s been passed down through our family for hundreds of years. The Knights Templar believed in what they called White Magic, a power source they could use to battle evil in all its forms. My father believed it too, and even though I know even less about this…what did you call it…mumbo jumbo, than he did, I believe in it too.”
“Fine, I’ll wear it if it makes you happier, but I still don’t quite see how it can do anything. Does a laser beam shoot out of the eye if I’m attacked by a madman?”
“Don’t joke about things like that. And I doubt it, no. All I know is there was also a matching amulet to this ring that my father used to carry around and pray over all the time. They both were infused with White Magic, and he believed they’d keep our family safe in times of trouble.”
“What happened to the amulet? Do you still have it?”
“From what I was told, it’s hanging on a chain around the neck of Joshua Miller. My father always told me the power of the talisman was the only thing that contained the reverend that night, and that without it the elders might have all been dead.”
“Wow! Cool story anyway, whether it’s true or not. Think it’s still there? Inside the church, I mean?”
“Probably, yeah, unless someone has found it before you get there. You can’t touch it though. I can’t stop you from going and looking for the treasure…hell, I can’t even blame you for trying that, but you’ve got to promise me you’ll leave that necklace alone. Please, I’m begging you. You’re probably right that my dad was full of baloney and his head was full of nonsense, but why tempt fate? It isn’t worth it. Not in a place like Miller’s Grove, it isn’t. Can you give your old grandfather that much, at least?”
Kelly didn’t even have to think about what she wouldsay. Of course she would agree not to touch the talisman. Anything that would calm Malcolm down and let him sleep easier while she was away. Miller’s Grove was his private nightmare, not hers, but if she could ease the burden on his shoulders and put a smile back on his wonderful wrinkled face, she’d have agreed to almost anything. “I promise, Gramps. And I’ll wear the ring too. Every second, okay?”
Malcolm nodded and gave his granddaughter a big hug. “Thanks for listening, angel. I know I’m a stupid old coot, but I’m just worried about you. Be careful. I don’t give a damn about the treasure…just come back to me, okay?”
“I will. We’ll have that coffee and I’ll let you know what we found.”
They hugged again and Malcolm walked back to the waiting taxi. Just before he climbed in the backseat, Kelly blew him a kiss and shouted out, “Hey, who dresses you in the morning anyway? You look pretty funky today.”
Malcolm laughed. “Oh well, what can you do? I was in a hurry. I’m going home and climbing back into my comfy jammies again…and there’s nothin’ you or anyone else can do about it. What do you think of that, smarty-pants?”
“Sounds good. Stay out of trouble till I get back.”
“I’ll try. See ya.”
With that he was gone, the cabdriver tooting the horn as they pulled away. Kelly wasn’t positive, but it looked to her like Malcolm was starting to cry as the taxi sped out of sight. She hoped that whatever reason he’d had for coming here this morning, he could at least find some inner peace that he’d been able to speak his mind and get it off his chest. Glancing down at the big silver and gold ring on her finger, she sighed and turned to face her friends. Everyonewas silently watching her, even Pat’s
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