THE LEGEND OF IKRA

THE LEGEND OF IKRA Ikra, a land born of legends of olde. Born of times when the world was ruled by the very few, and "fire spitting serpents" set fire to villages. A time when "kings" wiped out villages, in a blinding flash of light. Ikran history told that the village was founded by the survivors of the Death March. Refugee's, who wandered aimlessly, through a dark, and terrible time. Had it not been for the God, who found the ancestors, and brought them to safety, Ikra would not have existed, at all. These are the stories, which Ikran children have grown up with, since time has been recorded. Stories of the dark times, of hunger, of hopelessness, and of the terrible cries villagers, sometimes, heard, if they strayed from the settlement too close to sun-set. Cries, not human in nature. Cries, which turned blood as cold as the ice, of the mountains. Erak was one, of many, children, who grew up hearing the stories, of the terrible things, which lived beyond the village. Things which came out, only after the sun went down. Erak never told anyone, but, on a few occassions, he HAD gone beyond the village, after darkness, and he had caught a few glimpses of types of beast no villager would raise, or have around. Upon reaching manhood, Erak made a fateful decision. One which would change his, and his families, lives, forever. Erak had grown up with a typical, Ikran father. Everyday after work, his father joined the other village men, for a "after-work" drink. His father would, then, come home, fall in bed, then sleep until Erak's mother would toss him out of bed, and splash water on him. Once the man sobered up, by about noon, he would catch up on his chores. Ofcourse, Erak knew that his father was no bad case, since Erak had seen other village men dragging out of bed, mid-morning, to start chores. Erak also observed that the villager, who made the drink, was never drunk, himself. No, he would only TASTE each batch, to make sure it was good. Erak, then, watched, from hiding, as the drink maker would trade cattle, supplies, and so on, for his drink. When Erak come into his man-hood, his father wanted to offer him some "drink", but Erak would turn out to be the first Ikran male to decline the stuff. This both surprised, and delighted, his mother, who had hoped that her son would NOT follow his father, in this tradition. Un-like his father, Erak would maintain his early rising time, and his chores would be done by the time his father was just beginning his own chores. After he saw his father sell off some more land, to meet expenses, Erak did some trading, of his own, and, the next time his father drank up family revenue, Erak offered to pay off the debt, but on a condition. Erak would halt the debt, if his father signed the remainder of the family farm over to his son. This would make Erak owner, and controller, of the family farm. When his father signed over the farm, Erak set a strict limit, of just three drinks, per evening, on his father. Since his father was accustomed to consuming 12, to 15 drinks per night, the man felt deprived, when told he had to leave the tavern, since he had his limit. Erak knew that his father was sulking, for days, after the signing, but, atleast the man was awake, and working before noon. Eraks mother proved to be right as well. She predicted that having both father, and son, working from sun-to-sun would increase farm revenue. With Erak shunning the drink, and his father limited to three per night, Erak was able, over time, to buy back most of what his father had lost. It was at his aging mothers suggestion, that Erak travel to the main village, and seek a mate. This is what lead Erak to find Luna. With a title, now, worth 100 acres, two, stout, horses, and a re-built wagon, Erak would travel to the main trading area, of the village of Ikra (pronounced "ee-kra", for those interested). It was here that Erak would learn that what his mother said was true. In Ikra, ALL manner, of commodity was traded, in the same way. Cattle, wood, even human cargo. All were sold equally and by the same auctioneer. A female who, as Erak found out, would tolerate NO arrogance. She was, also, a stickler for proof of quality. Every item she auctioned off had a proof sign, verifying source, quality, and so on. It was when Erak approached a pen, where some "cattle" were being held for auction, that Erak realized that these were people. People who were traded for goods, and now up for auction, to re-pay debts. Astonishingly, all were nude, and every one had a sign stating age, source, strength, and so on. Erak didn't know why but he had a voice, in his head, calling for him to observe a particular "unit". When he saw her, he thought that she wasn't much to look at. Not very hearty, and not clean, either. Still, when she caught Erak's eye, and smiled, he hoped she was a good deal. He made a point of writing down her sign number. She was item number 19, of lot four. Just before the auctioneer would allow bidding, on any lots, she had the units hosed down, in public view. This included washing off all lumber, horses, and so on. When Number 19 was ready for bidding, she was washed off, then stood, silently, on the stage, as the auction began. Now, Erak, being a farmer, as most of the bidders were, knew that stoutness was best, for farm life, and this number 19 was slim, bordering on skinny. As a result, in a farming community, she was, practically, worthless. Still, Erak was sure she had potential. This is why he did as his mother told him, saying "Ten coins worth to end the bidding" Erak knew that this meant that he had just given up three acres of land, for this creature, but he just felt sure... When Erak paid the cashier, he grabbed a blanket, from his horse, for her to wear. What surprised her was that Erak had her ride his horse, while he walked the way back to the farm. On the way, when he asked her name, she asked him what name he would like, for her. When Erak asked if "Luna" was okay, the woman agreed (even though, in her land, Luna was the hated name of a goddess, who demanded all serve her every whim). Soon after Erak brought Luna to the farm, his sisters put their names in the local lottery, and were chosen, as mates, by some decent guys. Their lives might not be "perfect", but they wouldn't be as bad as mothers was. Sure, their mates did drink, but never drunk, as father had been. When mother observed Luna, and understood that her son had chosen, well, she, and father, took their "pension" in the form of a shed, near the edge of the farm. Luna did as promised, and gave Erak a good home, and children, including a son, named Sheka, whom, she predicted, would do "great things", during his life. She was right, too, as Sheka observed his world, in great detail. Even while still very young, Sheka made some serious observations, about the family homestead. Especially about the food storage area which his mother used. At the end of every harvest, Luna stocked the supply tent with a winters worth of food, yet, between bad weather, and animals, the place failed, year after year. Then, one year, between planting and harvest, Sheka took a shovel, and went out, behind the family wood pile. No one had any idea what he was doing, since he pitched a tent over the spot. It was just short of harvest time when Sheka cut a whole, in the floor, of the family home, then showed his family what he had done. When Erak asked WHY, Sheka told him that, now, mother could store her supplies, underground, where animals could not reach them, nor could the annual rains. Ofcourse, the tunnel would need some shelves, but Luna was delighted all the same. That year, for the first time, 99% of Lunas work was saved from the weather. Then came another debate. Sheka had seen the so-called "maps", which his father, and every other farmer, in Ikra, used, to navigate the regional trails. What Sheka could not believe was how something could be called a "map", when it was just some lines, on paper. When Erak cautioned that this "map" was made by village priests, who worked for the gods, Sheka questioned if this information were reliable. When the discussion threatened to become a fight, Luna suggested a challenge, for their son. With harvest completed, and planting season a few months off, why not let Sheka try making some of his own drawings? Erak agreed, even if just to prevent the fight. Luna packed her son some supplies, and Sheka packed some canvas, and some charcoal sticks. He, then, set out to map the trail, to the main village, in charcoal. His first problem became immediately clear. There was so much flora, and fawna, that he had to use up all of his charcoal and parchment, less than halfway to town. As he showed his mother, when he tried even mapping just the main things, along the way, there was just so much to map that a one page map turned into a blur. When Luna viewed the detail pages, though, she was surprised at how detailed her son had made the pictures. She could make out details, and tell where each picture was drawn. Sheka, however, was not as pleased, with his work, as his mother was. Still, when she asked him to accompany her to a neighbors farm, for some bartering, Sheka agreed. It was at the neighbors farm that Sheka made a discovery which would change his life, forever. At the farm, Sheka would learn how the neighbors family used various products, to make many colors, for fabrics. When Sheka was "found", talking the the farmers daughters, Luna was asked to remove him from the family farm (despite his being honest about his questions). Soon after mother and son returned home, Sheka went out, and collected a sample of the minerals, which he would need to make colors with. There was just one problem. The mixing process smelled so foul that Luna had him move the "die" as far from the family home as possible. As a result, Sheka built a shed, on the edge of the farm directly opposite where his grand-parents lived. Sure, the color mixing process smelled bad, and Sheka didn't go near the family home, after working, until fully bathed. It would take him a while to learn how to mix the right colors, then more time to make drawing sticks, which would write, not crumble, when used. These things, Sheka worked on, when not helping, on the farm. Sheka then traded two days worth of his labor, to the village "print shop", in return for a package of drawing parchment. He, then, hunted down a length of rope, and made it into lengths. When Sheka left home, this time, he left not with one horse, carrying his food, but three horses. One to carry his gear, and food, one with sacks of parchment paper, and the third carrying extra packs, of his color sticks. When Sheka returned home, two days prior to harvest, he presented his mother with a "present" so wonderful, that she was speechless. When Erak came in, and saw his sons art-work, Sheka was surprised by his fathers compliment. On the table, before them, his parents saw the most detailed, color, maps, they had ever seen. It was Luna, though, who decided to hang the pictures on the walls. Sheka had managed to make a map, of the trail, to Ikra, which showed exactly WHY the trail was not straight, but curved and wavy. This is when Erak asked his son a favor. Once the season was done, father wanted son to make a lay-out, of the local farms, so Erak would have a better idea of where he stood, in the farming community. When Sheka agreed to do so, he traded some more time, and labor, to local merchants, for the supplies he would need. Soon, Sheka would know WHY his father was so interested in local land holdings. When Sheka compared a priests "map", to what the terrain, and property lines, looked like, he realized that his father had bought back even MORE land, in his efforts to bring his family name back to its former glory. "Glory", and "Respect", among members of the community. When Sheka made his detailed maps, the maps showed just how FAR Erak had extended his reach. Neighboring farms had shrunk, in size, while the farm, of Erak, was growing back, to about 135% of its original size. When the next harvest was in, it was the family, of Erak, whose turn it was, to host the celebration banquet. This lead to, first, the local women seeing Sheka's work, then the men seeing it, as well. Sheka received plenty of praise, that day, as well as an offer, to let the local print shop run off about a dozen copies, of each picture. Shortly thereafter, the priests, of the map-making shop, heard of the "miraculous", new maps, and decided to check the story out. When they saw Sheka's work, the priests warned the family that only the holy order could sell maps. Anything else would be sacreligious. Sheka wanted to question this, but Luna cautioned him to say nothing. About 9 moons later, the printer returned, to offer Sheka a new deal. The printer was willing to PAY Sheka, to map the area, abround the village. Sheka could see why, from the priests "map" which showed nothing except a "blob", marked "Ikra", and blank space all around. Sheka's job would be to map the area. The printer offered a payment, of 20 gold coins, if Sheka made the maps. When Sheka agreed, he spent a week just drawing the village, to scale, before venturing beyond the village streets, and into the area which the priests had left blank, on their maps. What Sheka, rapidly, realized was just how much detail which was visual, to the "naked eye", but which the priests had deleted from their "maps". As a result, each detail sheet only covered so much footage, since there was so much to catalog. As a result, each "circuit", of the village, would take Sheka close to two weeks, to complete. When the priests found out what Sheka was doing, they ordered his backer to stop the young man. When the merchant asked "Why?", the head priest said "We, of the gods order, are the sole map-makers, for this village. If anyone DARES to challenge our authority, we will make SURE that the gods smite the un-worthy". When Sheka came in, for more supplies, and to deliver his materials, to date, the young man would be surprised when his backer would invite village members into his business, and have them review Sheka's work. To a man, the merchants, and village members, all agreed that Sheka's maps were far better than the priests maps. In fact, on Sheka's maps, places didn't need their names written through them. The pictures said it all. To Shekas surprise, several people asked for copies. His backer then offered to extend Sheka's contract, for a full year, so that Sheka could have time to map every corner of the village. The payment would be delivered to Sheka's mother. Two months after Sheka's extension was granted, the priests closed up their shop, and warned villagers that the "gods" would be very angry with Ikra. Erak was the first to say "Let them BE angry. I have a farm to run." Suddenly, the priests realized that they were about to lose a very profitable enterprise. Not just map-making, either. The priests had profitable sidelines, such as giving blessings, for gold coin payment, and checking in on the sick, and old, for gold. Now, a "young kid" was threatening their profits. But HOW could the priests show the gods wrath? For centuries, the priests had relied on superstition, and fear, to generate respect for the gods, and money, for the priests. Now, thanks to Sheka, and Erak, the "hold" was slipping away. According to the "Holy Scriptures", all the priests, of the past had to do, was to threaten the gods wrath, and villagers fell into line, out of fear. The "Holy Scriptures" also spoke of drying up water holes, bringing storms, and plague, and famine. Problem was that the "Holy Scriptures" did not tell HOW to make these things happen. HOW did one dry up a lake? HOW did one call up a raging storm? The "Scriptures" told WHAT to do, but left out the HOW. In desperation, one priest actually tried to call forth a storm, with a chant he wrote, himself. He, then, warned the people, that the gods were angry, and that raging torrents, of water, would come crashing down, upon the village, within two days time. Two days later, there was overcast, but, as observers waited, and watched, even the village blacksmith said he had work to do, and he was going to keep working, until the storm was upon the village. Well, Ikra did get some rain. A light rain, which just muddied the paths, and watered the plants. The black- smith worked right through it. So did other merchants. When the priests left the village, in the middle of the night, not many villagers missed them, for awhile. People were accustomed to seeing the priests shop closed, during prayer times. While this time was going on, Erak, for awhile, turned his eyes to the sky, for every single sound he heard. When he reealized that he was falling far behind schedule, with his chores, Erak decided that, 'If the gods want to smyte me, they know where to find me. I have chores to do', and went back to work. When people began to suspect that the priests had left, Luna was the first to start visiting neighbors, more often, both to trade, and check in, on possible need. Soon, however, Luna had set up quite the network, of visitors, to check in, on various farms. While Erak tended the farm, and Luna, visited neighbors, Sheka was just finishing one commission, for the merchant when he was offered another commission. His backer was making a "fortune" off of Shekas maps, which the man was sharing, equitably, with the House of Erak. With this fortune, and more people wanting Sheka's maps, the merchant offered Sheka another commission. This would be a commission, which could last up to two years. The job would have Sheka make maps of the Main Trade Route, between Ikra, and Shona, a trading partner. According to the "maps", made by the priests, for centuries, the "route" was just a squiggly line, between the two villages, with the words "Main Trade Route" written through the squiggly line. Now, the merchant wanted accurate maps, of what the route actually looked like. And, Sheka was in for a "bonus". This time, he would not have to ride back to town, for supplies. The merchant was hiring a team, to take supplies TO Sheka, and return with the new maps. Sheka was just surprised at the send-off that Ikra gave him, as he set about the task. A send off fit for a king, or a god. While Sheka moved along the trade route, his mother received regular deliveries, of gold coins, in payment for Sheka's services. This, while Sheka received regular deliveries, of drawing supplies, which, in turn, returned his latest works to Ikra. It is because of this that Sheka was un-aware of Erak's passing, until he returned to Ikra. Although, for travellers, moving directly from village to village, the Main Trade Route may have taken 14 days to cover, in good weather, and up to 30 days, when the rains turned the path to mud, it would take Sheka almost two years to map the route, with any accuracy. During his travels, along the "Main Trade Route", Sheka would spend many a day "hunkered down" inside caves, or under overhangs, while storms passed. With his family receiving the profits, from his work, Sheka knew that his job wa to make the best maps, which he could make. On the way to Shona, Sheka would find the "thing", which the priests maps called "The Beast". Now, granted, from a distance, it did, in fact, have the appearance, of a slumbering beast, but that was only from a distance. What Sheka found humorous was the various medalions, which were hung, from tree's, which "surrounded" the "beast". Medalions which, rumor held, would keep "evil" at bay. Cautiously approaching the thing, Sheka realized that what had looked like an open mouth, from a distance, was more like a cave entrance, from close up. Those black things, which, from a distance, might resemble teeth, turned out to be supports, similar to those used to support was, and roofs, in Ikran shelters. When Sheka steped inside the thing, though, and some lights came on, Sheka dived for the exterior (in case the thing WAS alive). When it went dark, upon his exit, Sheka tested the thing, a few times, before stepping inside. When Sheka found nothing, which he recognized, and nothing, which he could explain, upon his return, to Ikra, Sheka just decided to move on, after mapping the things position. What was it? When he reached Shona, though, Sheka followed his mothers advice, and stayed outside of town. When Sheka made his way back to Ikra, his sister cut him off, on the route, and brought him directly home, to get the news. Not only had their father died, but their mother was representing the family, in council, in Ikra. Sheka found out that his work was going on public trial, to decide if his maps were "sacreligious". After cleaning up, from his travels, Sheka rode into Ikra, where he was directed to the section, of the village hall, where trials took place. Here, Sheka found a vigorous debate going on, about his maps. Arguing, for his side, was his merchant sponsor. Sheka saw many samples, of his work, lain out, on tables, for all to see, with the merchant asking what was "sac-religious" about the detailed maps, which just showed the landscape, on either side of the "Main Trade Route". Arguing for the opposition, was a boat owner, who claimed to be "loyal to the gods", for protecting his boats from storms. (Never mind that his boats had never been successful, in stayng afloat, on their own.) Still, this man was insistent that Ikrans obey the "will of the gods", by denouncing Sheka's "blasphemy", and beg the return of the priests. As it turned out, the room was, bitterly divided between those who saw Sheka's work as progress, and those who held to the old ways. When the oppositiion claimed that Sheka's "maps" were the "Devil's work", Sheka's sponsor went to a nearby window, inviting others to join him, by saying "Let us take a look, out of the window and see if the boy is practicing "sac-relige" In fact, no one needed to look out of the window since everyone, present, knew that Sheka had only drawn whhat anyone could see was the general landscape, around the Ikran village. In the end, the decision came down to the "Holy Scriptures", and the chapter, regarding "progress". "Scripture" was quite clear, on "progress", in saying that it must be spiritual, in nature, or that it would endanger the village, and destroy the Ikrans. "Scripture" said that it was religion, which had saved the founders, of Ikra, who had, then, pledged never to advance beyond farming. While the debate went on, Sheka noticed a drawing, on the wall and thought he recognized what he saw, or, atleast PART of what he saw. On a very crudely drawn scroll, hanging from a wall, there was a drawing of some creature, with a wide mouth, and a long tail. Sheka thought he had seen something, similar, in his travels, but what he had, during his travels, was something which had NO tail. Ofcourse, Sheka would admit that he had only observed the thing from a distance, but had recalled that it looked off-white, with dark teeth. When Sheka was called forward, to answer to the charge, of "Heresy", Sheka asked what "heresy" he had committed. When his accuser said "The heresy of challenging the priests noble duty to make our maps", Sheka said he had committed no such heresy. He had, merely, mapped out certain area's, at the request of others. When his accuser brought forth a priests map, and said "This was drawn, by a priest, of the holy order. Do you challenge it?" Sheka asked "Challenge what? That "map" shows nothing but a few lines, on parchment. If you want to call that a "map", then so be it" When his accuser stood a finger on one piece, of Shekas map, and asked "Did you draw this?" Sheka said he had. His accuser said "He admits the heresy". Sheka then snatched one of the priests maps, from nearby, and asked "If my map is heresy, with its increased detail, then what is this one?" "In fact", Sheka said, as he pointed around the room, at other so-called "maps" "aside from the fact that mine is more detailed, what is the difference?" At that, the room fell silent, for a prolonged time. Finally, his accuser said "The difference is that THESE maps..." the man said, as his hand swept the room "...were made by priests, of the most reverred gods. Their work is sanctified. Is yours?" Sheka came back with "Atleast my work is honest. I only draw what I see, and all that I see". When several members of the audience murmured "true, his work is honest", the accuser said "True, or not, your work is not sanctified by the gods, as the priests maps are." After the accuser suggested sending a peace offering to the temple, while disciplining Sheka, for dis-obeying the gods, the first person spoke up, in Sheka's defense. "What for?", was the question. The follow-up, from another attendee, was "atleast Sheka's maps are true, and honest. They show details which the priests maps do not show". When the accuser shouted "Blasphemer!", another attendee spoke up, asking "What is?" The accuser then reminded the Ikrans of the Holy Scriptures, which had been handed down, since the dark times. The Scriptures said: "and it shall come to be made law that machines, curiousity, and all other "progress" shall be deemed the work of the Devil, who has corrupted the souls of men, and brought the Great Destruction upon man-kind. The prophet, James, has been sent among you, with the lords words written upon his mind. To survive, the village must abandon the old ways, and return to an agrarian lifestyle, of farming, and raising life-stock. This will please the gods, and keep the Ikran people safe" For as long as time had been recorded, in Ikra, the people had lived by the word of the Holy Scriptures. Now, his accuser said that Sheka wanted to change the village. Problem was that a growing number, of villagers, were asking how the simple making of maps would destroy the village? The decision would be left to the Ikran council of elders. In a decision taking three weeks to come to, the elders decided to let nature do their dirty work, for them. Since Sheka seemed to love danger, he would be given special permission to follow the "Road of the Ancients", and find out where it went. Since this path was, normally forbidden, Sheka received permission, then tried to find out how long the road might be. Problem was that some sources said that the path did not even exist (even though it could be seen, with the naked eye). Other sources said the path stretched into infinity. If one walked far enough, they would reach the end of the world. One thing Sheka knew, and that was that there would be no re-supply convoys, on this run. Once Sheka entered the path, no Ikran, high, or low, would dare come near. This is why Sheka asked the village blacksmith a favor. Sheka made a drawing, from an old book, some one had found, and Sheka hoped that the blacksmith could build the picture. The blacksmith said that the picture would take some time to build, considering its size. Sheka asked him just to let Sheka know when the device was done. Sheka then spent some time, on the family farm, and was impressed by its size, and the number of men who, now, worked the land, for the family. Sheka also visited an old friend, a few times, to let her know how much he missed her. When the new wagon was "completed", it was the tallest, ugliest, thing that Sheka ever saw. The black-smith cautioned Sheka to travel slowly, since the carriage was VERY top-heavy. (In fact, it was so tall that the wind could topple it). This is when Sheka changed the plans, and the black-smith said it would be another few months. The new design called for the top 3/4 to be cut off, and made into a series of carriages. Sure, it would, still, take a large team, of stout horses, to pull the carriages, but there would be no danger of toppling. When the new design was finished, everyone said it looked more like a wagon train, than a single wagon. Especially with the rear-most wagon being so HUGE. That was called the "tanker" wagon, to hold Sheka's water supply, since Sheka had no idea if the north was the "desert" which Scripture claimed that it was. Ahead of the "tanker" wagon, was the steering/bed-chamber wagon, while the middle wagons were for map-making, dining, and supplies storage. When Sheka departed Ikra, he had no idea that his friend was pregnant. His focus was on dealing with what might lie ahead. This, while the elders, and the religious ones, all hoped Sheka would meet his doom, in the wilderness. Sheka handled his horses very EASILY, since he had no idea if there were other horses, north of Ikra. Sheka's first surprise (but a small one), was that, north of the village, the lands did not turn into desert. In fact, the lands were green, lush, and ALIVE with all manner of creature. Several months north of the village, Sheka got his first, up-close look at one of the stone monuments, which, the Scriptures said, marked the "edge of life". Sheka just wished he could read the symbols, which were carved into the tall stones. The only thing which was obvious was that each stone marked a side of the path. Sheka drew the stones, as well as possible. Maybe four months past this point, Sheka came upon what the Scriptures called "Owl's Peak". Sheka could understand why when, as he got close to it, the thing was shaped like an owl. Sheka figured that it was anywhere from 500 feet tall, to 2,000 feet tall. It stood, facing the north, like a giant sentry. By the passage of the seasons, Sheka estimated that he was two, maybe three, years from Ikra, when he found a wide, flat, valley, surrounded by majestic mountains. In so many ways, this valley reminded Sheka of the village stories of the place once called "Paradise Valley". The only things, which did not fit the story, were the great "lumps", of vegetation, which covered large spaces. As Sheka drew closer, he realized that the "lumps" were not vegetation, at all. In fact, they were buildings, overgrown with vegetation. Sheka was amazed, never having seen such places, before. How they shined, even through the over-growth. Sheka wondered who might live here, since the buildings seemed to be in pristine condition. He would search several buildings, before coming to one which had what looked similar to the scrolls of Ikra. Although dust-covered, the objects appearred nearly brand new. Then, there were the lighted surfaces. Sheka spent a month just trying to understand what this place was. Finally, he bumped into a machine, and found a light running up, and down, his body. It didn't hurt, but it was "different". The the machine said "Caucasian male, probable language: English". Suddenly, Sheka found himself enclosed by the light, which, then, "bathed" him, before vanishing. When the light was gone, Sheka looked around him, yet all he saw were the same objects he saw, before. When he went back to the "scrolls", though, he found that he understood the writing on them. Without even thinking about it, he spent two years trying to understand what was in this place. Finally, he realized where he must be. This had to be Paradise Valley! Granted, it showed plenty of human development, but, beyond the buildings, plaza's, and so forth, this place DID fit the description from the Scriptures. He even found the granite blocks, which had the name chiselled in. What baffled Sheka, though, was that this place was not mentioned, in the Scriptures. According to the "Holy Scriptures", Paradise Valley was a place of lush greenery, where people came to live in peace. There was no mention of "libraries", apartments, and so on. Why had the prophet, James, left all of this OUT of Scripture? Sheka found the one answer, which he didn't want, in some volumes called "History of Paradise Valley". In this series, Sheka learned where a marker was located, to the north. It indicated the end of the Death March route, which history spoke of. History also spoke of a giant of a man, venturing into the darkness, of the march, and asking the people to follow him to the sun-light. When the people followed the man, he brought them to this place, to what would become Paradise Valley. Scripture did say that the people lived, for a time, in Paradise Valley, but that they were cast out. Scripture gave NO reason. History gave a reason. It seems that Paradise Valley was not just an overnight stop-over, as Ikrans had, always, been told. The ancestors actually settled the valley, and society was re-born, as it had been, in the mythical "America". According to History, though, the people did not just stay, and farm, they prospered, and lived here for anywhere from 3,000 years to 15,000 years. Then came the "dark time". History told of a few people who began grabbing power, until they gained control of the valley, including something called "Space Ports", and "Instellar Commerce". Feeling strangled, by the ambitions, of the few, various groups began to seek out new lands, then, under cover of darkness, the people faded away from Paradise Valley. Eventually, enough people departed the valley that made it impossible for the remaining population to keep the valley operating. History told that the last few, of the powerful people, boarded ships, and left for the stars. History also told that each group, of refugee's, took a different pathway, from the valley, in order to make new lives for themselves, and their families. This, atleast, explained why there were other villages, instead of just Ikra, and Shona. Sheka marked these volumes, then went in search of the marker, for the Death March. About ten miles north of the valley, he found the marker. It was, highly, corroded, but still readable. Un-fortunately, the trail, itself, was gone, maybe for as long as 20,000 years. Sheka would return to Paradise Valley, and read up, on the past, until he came to understand the machines, which still operated. Once he learned how to "talk" to the machines, via the keyboards, he called up images of distant, and mythical, places, such as Houston Texas, Atlanta Georgia, Chicago and Springfield Illinois, Washington D.C., and so on. These were places where, some said, the ancients came from. Sheka wondered what kinds of places these were, that people fled them, and came to "Paradise". He would not like this answer any more than the previous answer. If the various journals, and records, which Sheka was able to find, were accurate, the story was the darkest one he had ever known of. According to hundreds of sources, the story was, basically, the same. A point had come, when those, who controlled the mythical "America" realized that they couldn't just say "poverty, be gone", and expect poverty to be gone. As a "final solution", the powerful just pushed the powerless out of their homes, and told the powerless to "Get Lost, and dont come back". According to some journals, though, the powerless tried to stand their ground, in places like "Detriot", and "Chicago". The journals said that, one night, the sky turned "Bright as mid-day, on a sunny day" for several seconds, then fell dark, again. When the night returned, a fierce wind swept the area. When the refugee's looked upon the area, the next morning, everything was gone. This is when they joined the march. The refugee's marched south, until they reached something called the "Gulf of Mexico", whatever that was, then most just walked along the shore-line. The one thing, which ALL of the journals agreed upon, was that, for a very L-O-N-G time, there was no sun-light. Night and day were the same. No one was sure of how many refugee's died, on the march, or how many were killed. Some suspected the worst, when bodies were found "gutted". Most bodies, though, were found close to butchered live-stock, or half-eaten fish. Some writers wrote that they watched as some refugee's just fell over, dead, after marching for (who knew how long). Those who could, occassionally, looked back, and, in the distance, saw bright flashes, in the distance. When the winds came, now, they were distant. The refugee's were about to give up, with exhaustion, and desperation, as well as starvation, when the tallest, and formidably built, man they had ever seen, came forward, from the darkness, and invited the refugee's to come to his home, in the nearby valley. Those, who had the energy, joined the man, while the others just sat down. When the strongest saw what the man was offering, they would try to take some fresh food back to the refugee's, only to find bodies, either too weak to eat, or already dead. It seems that, once the people were fed, the man offered each a part of the valley, in return for a simple tribute, of food. After this, the journals seemed to become vague, for many years, as the people began to build a new home. Eventually, fire had been mastered, then the wheel, then something called "electricity". In time, machines, capable of reaching beyond the heavens were built, and more villages, called "colonies" would be created, in places far from this place, which the ancients called "Earth". Places called "Mars", and places which had numbers, instead of names. Eventually, though, the few took on power, and, instead of fighting, as they had done, in this "America" place, the many just packed up, and left. Since the new refugee's blamed the machines, for their new mis-fortune, several groups made pacts never to build the machines, or "society", ever again. What the refugee's forgot about was the outposts, which had been built to protect Paradise Valley. When Sheka found the location of one, such, outpost, he could not believe his own eyes. He even tripple-checked the location, to be sure. To his dis-belief, Sheka would learn that the central village, of Ikra, was built directly OVER the top of some buildings. "Laboratories", whatever that was. Sheka would only begin his return trip, to Ikra when his body began to hurt, and his hair began to turn white. How long he had been away, he had no idea. On his way back to Ikra, he had to make many stops, to pick up maps he had made, over the time-span, then he came upon the "stone guardians". Now, however, he could read the chiselled symbols, on the surface: Northern-most Radiation Safety Point Sheka recalled reading much about this stuff called "Radiation", during his trave, at the various, ancient places, which he had visited, on this trip, but he had no idea what radiation was. By the time Sheka would bring back his ONG train, of carts, loaded for bear, with his maps, and so on, to Ikra, his hair, and his beard, were white as snow. His youth was long gone, and his steps were slower, and more measured. Still, the people, of Ikra, were surprised that he had returned, at all. When Sheka went to see the friend he had said "Goodbye" to, so long ago, he found that she was old, and white-haired, as well. She did have news for him, though. The young woman Sheka had passed, on his way in, to see the woman, the young woman, with "flaming" red hair. She told Sheka "That is our daughter, Fyre" When Sheka asked what kind of name that was, for a woman, his friend said "I was going to call her Angel, or something like that, but our daughter has been as active as flame, since she was born. Thats why I changed her name to "Fyre". When the young woman came to tell her mother that the wash was up to dry, and asked "Mom, who is this man?", her mother told Fyre to prepare herself. "This is your father". Since Fyre never knew the man, she just said "Hello", then went on her way. Sheka's biggest challenge, though, lay before him, still. His task had included a promise to report what he learned (if he survived his task). Now' he had to decide what to tell a new council of elders (since those, who had held power, upon his departure, were either deceased, or senile). In public hearing, Sheka produced dozens of drawings he had made, of the non-mythical "Paradise Valley", but then he had to give the bad news. "Paradise Valley is not what we have been told it was. It was not just a settlement, such as Ikra is, nor was it populated, for only a short time. No, Paradise Valley existed, as something called a "city", for more moons than any of us can count. The closest I can come, to describing its age, would be to say that it was millions of moons old." When the council asked if it was true that the people received a "sign" which drew them to Ikra? Sheka had to say that the people fled Paradise Valley for much the same reason as the people had fled "America". The people were fleeing oppression, in Paradise Valley, which they fled, in the place their tales called "America". Sheka said that it was recorded that, when the people left Paradise Valley, they made a pact, blaming machines, and progress, for their problems, and set out to find new lands. The pact was to avoid progress, at all costs. After the meeting, Sheka would spend his later years telling camp-fire stories about traveling beyond the great, stone, pillars (while ommitting what the writing said), and how he had found, and lived in, Paradise Valley, for years. All while studying the great place. Whenever asked about the Death March trail, Sheka would only say that he found a marker, showing its end. The actual path was gone, "millions of moons ago". When not telling camp-fire stories, Sheka would help his daughter, Fyre, who ran a repair shop, in the village, now that the owner, whom Sheka had known, as a boy, was deceased. Sheka would learn that his daughter, like himself, was not one for "tradition". No, Fyre never wore dresses, even to community events. She was every inch the equal to any man who might come near her. It would seem that Fyre even chose NOT to take part, in the annual "mating" ritual, for un-married girls. Instead of being chosen, by a man, and becoming "just a mate", Fyre had taken on work, when the repair-shop became full of work. No one questioned Fyre, on her decision, since Fyre had a temper, especially when reminded that "You are just a girl." To Fyre, these were fighting words. In the repair shop, though, she seemed to be happy, and villagers were happy with her work. Fyre had an ambition, though, which she wanted to fulfill. To explain, she took her father down to the dock, where Ikrans tried to build new boat designs. Fyre said this was because the old river barges were becoming frightfully leaky, and it was just a matter of time... Fyre had come to notice boats well enough that she could tell her father how long it would take each boat to sink. She hoped to be the one to solve this problem. If daughter were, truly, like father, Sheka hhad no doubt that his daughter would, eventually, solve the problem. Sheka's most diifficult task would be to remember NOT to te fellow Ikrans the stories he had read, in Paradise Valey. The stories, which said that many of the people had "gone, to the stars". How could Sheka exlain space travel, when even he did not understand the practice. Instead, Sheka would tell his stories, about feeling of being "watched", as he foowed the old trails. When asked "Did you SEE what was trailing you?" Sheka would have to say "Never saw a thing, but I felt it, almost always." The only thing Sheka could say, with marginal safety, was that Paradise Valley had been inhabited for ateast 10,000 years. Beyond that, all wa guess work. In the final taly, though, Sheka would find that, over his years, of travel, his family had been aid enough sacks, of gold coins, for his efforts, that his family had no further want of trading power. Still, as long as Luna lived, she kept her family "grounded", as regular Ikrans. Sheka might have money, but the family was, still, "regular" people. When Sheka would be asked what the future might hold, for Ikra, all Sheka could say was "That is up to us to decide". When Sheka's time was "at an end", the man was found, on a cot, eyes closed, yet smiling, at something, which only he had seen.

RETURN TO CANDLESHOE

RETURN TO CANDLESHOE Many years would have passed, in the time since Harold W. Bundage brought Miss Casey Brown before the Lady St. Edmond, having Casey posing as the womans grand-daughter, Margaret St. Edmond. In the time, since the treasure, of Captain Joshua St. Edmond, has been located, and placed on deposit, Casey would have departed Candleshoe, without incident, except that Grandmother would not allow it. In fact, when Casey would ask Grandmother "What happens if your real grand-daughter shows up?" She would be surprised when Grandmother would say "Perhaps she has". Over the proceeding years, Casey Brown would dig far deeper, into the life of Margaret St. Edmond. The problem, with every lead Casey followed, was that every lead just lead, more-or-less, right back to herself. Even when Casey went to the village doctor, for information, and advice, when the doctor checked the records, from the family, all he could do was give Casey an un-sure response. When Casey asked the man "If you were a wagering man?" The doctor would say "Although I do lay a wager, now and then, in regard to this case, I would not wager more than five pounds, either way" Terrific! If even a doctor would not make a wager, what was Casey to do? Just pretend to be someone she wasn't? In time, Casey would have molded her life much more to the British way of life. At Grandmothers insistence, Casey would finish primary (grade school, in America) school, with the other children, then go on, to finish secondary (high school, in America) school, before going on, eventually, to university. At university, Casey would specialize in tracing ones past, as she searched for more clues as to who she really was. Was she, really, the lady Margaret St. Edmond, or not? To further hinder her search, there was the fact that Casey had no memories, of her own. No memories of either mother, or father. This is why she wanted to find out who she really was. She wanted to lay the matter to rest, for both herself, and for Grandmother. Even when Casey contacted American authorities, for information, what response she did receive, was little more than to say that her records MIGHT be a possible "match" for the Lady Margaret. By the way the contacts were worded, Casey realized that the U.S. government was saying nothing less than "You could be a race horse, a cow, a mule, or a royal queen, for all we know" Caseys search only came to an end when she met a fellow student, whom she, really, wanted Grandmother to meet. Casey wanted Grandmothers approval, so very ardently, since Grandmother had been treated Casey with such compassion. Even despite the circumstances under which Casey had first, arrived, at Candleshoe. The only problem, with Caseys potential suitor, was that he was an American, who was merely pursuing studies, in England. Once his studies were finished, he would be returning to America. When the tear-filled day, of Caseys departure, would arrive, Grandmother would embrace a weeping Casey, saying "Child, you say you want me to be happy, correct?" When Casey would say "Ofcourse, Grandmother" This is when Grandmother would say "Very well, then. If it is your desire that I am joyous, then proceed with your life. Nothing would bring more joy, to my heart, than to watch each of my grand-children leading happy lives. Thats all which a mother, or a grandmother, may ask for". As the couple departed the grand estate, Caseys man would promise her "You can come back, to visit, you know. Its not like we are moving to another planet". Casey would wipe her eyes, as she said "I know, but it remains difficult to leave behind the only family I have, ever, known." Although her new husband would try to keep his promise, it would seem that home, and family, got in the way, all of the time. For many years, Caseys primary contact, with Candleshoe, was via the mail service. Casey routinely, sent Grandmother pictures, of her family, as well as the usual things, such as what family members were doing, and how much Casey missed the estate. In return, Grandmother, often, sent messages, updating Casey on the goings on, in, and around the area of Candleshoe. In time, though, the messages, from Grandmother, would turn into compliments, for Casey's progress, with parenthood. With the invention of the internet, and e-mail, as well as digital photography, Casey would try to remain in contact, with Candleshoe. Tragedy was, though, by the time the internet was made available to the public, Grandmother, and Priory, would have passed away. With a family, to care for, Casey just could not find the time to even visit the estate. Still, Casey enjoyed telling her own children the stories, about her life, in England. Learning a brand new language, and following the clues, to the treasure. When her children would ask "Why did he hide the stuff out in the open, like that? Wasn't he afraid that someone might steal it?" Casey would remind her children that, in England, there are fewer locks, than in America, since the British respect private property. Besides, who would think to check a tarnished, century old, statue, for treasure? Although Casey still missed Candleshoe, her life would not be altered until she received a cryptic message, from "Queenie". When Casey read the message to her husband, which read "Urgent. Your presence is required, for a most priority matter. Please verify your compliance, at the earliest opportunity" Her husband would ask "What can that mean?" Casey would say "This is how the British say "Emergency, get over here, now!"" When her husband would ask "Then, why not use those words?" Casey would roll her eyes then say "That IS how the British communicate". When Casey would wonder, out loud, "I wonder if it has something to do with Grandmother? Maybe one of the family. I wonder if someone is injured, and Queenie does not wish to concern me, un-duly" When her husband listened to his wife using more and more British English, he suggested "You may as well go to them." When Casey asked "Question, regarding our obigation here?" Her husband would say "If you speak anymore British, then I wont understand you, myself". When Casey would pack, for the British Empire, she would make sure that her British Operators permit was within easy reach. Casey also made sure that her REAL passport was easily acccessible. (Sure, Harold Bundage had a passport, for the original trip, but, somehow, security had not been as "tight" as it was, nowadays.) Casey smiled at the thought of how easily British Intelligence could have seen through her previous passport. By todays standards, the "quality" was, downright laughable. It would not be until Casey knew that her husbands family was aiding in the familys care, that Casey would travel to the local airport, where she would surprise the sales staff by her grasp, of their language. With ticket in hand, Casey's husband would see her board a jet, for another flight, to the royal empire. For Casey, though, this was a home-coming, not a trip. Starting at Heathrow Airport, Casey would amaze the Brits with her grasp of their own language. She would, even, astound the car rental agent, by reminding the agent that, in England, the steering wheel is on the RIGHT hand side, of the car, and that people drive on the LEFT side of the road. Yes, Casey Brown had taken her driving courses, in England, and had an official, British, operators license. Casey never knew why, but she kept her British operators license up to date, even as she kept her American drivers license, as well. What truly amazed Casey was how little the area had changed, since her departure. Sure, Casey had learned about the history, of the area, both from locals, and from school. Casey knew that most properties had been owned, by the same family's, for as long as even church records had been kept. She recognized the homes, of friends, and fellow students. What never failed to take her breath away was when she first came down the lane, leading to the parking area, in front of Candleshoe. Today, Casey would, even, stop, for a moment, on the lane, just to take in the grand estate in. The one place Casey had called "home". The grand house, the grounds. It was, all, just as she remembered. Then, Casey had a touch of melancholy as she remembered that neither Grandmother, nor Priory, were among the living, anylonger. Casey must have returned to full, Engish citizen, mode, when she stepped, to the front door, of the house, and prepared to take her luggage back to her old room. When Casey saw Queenie, for the first time, in years, Casey made her first curtsey, in years, as the two ladies renewed their acquaintance, with each lady giving the proper curtsey. Just a moment later, a rather strapping (well built) man would come, from behind Queenie, bow to Casey, and offer to take her bags. When Queenie introduced the man as her husband, Casey handed her things over, then the group retreated inside the grand house. Once inside, with Caseys bags delivered to her old room (at Caseys request. After all, Casey was family, not a guest), Queenie would bring Casey aside, in Queenies room, for a chat, while her husband resumed his normal duties, of running the house. In Queenies room, Queenie would bring Casey up to date, including on the fact of how very much Grandmother had adored the photo's, of Caseys children, as well as the occassional letters. Queenie would say "Nothing appearred to make Grandmother more joyous than the ever-expanding collection of photographs, of our children. That, and her collection, of our graduation certificates". When Casey asked "How are the others doing? Wilhelm, Peter, and the others" Queenie would give her the short summary: "Wilhelm spent so much time following Priory around, that Priory made the boy his assistant. When Priory was no-longer able to perform his duties, Wilhelm just moved into the position. Wilhelm has been maintaining the property, ever since." "As for Peter, he went into the trades, and, now, he visits when he has work, in the vicinity. He is quite adequate, in his profession, and has acquitted himself, quite well" When Casey asked "And Anna? I haven't received a single word, about her, for an extended period of time" Queenie seemed sad as she said, in a low voice "No, there will be no further updates, on Anna." When Casey asked "What happened?" Queenie would say "Like you, Anna wanted to know where she came from, and if she retained any family ties. Anna was involved in following information, which had taken her to Asia, when her aircraft suffered a fatality, over the Pacific Ocean. All present, aboard the aircraft were found, deceased, by search-and-rescue craft" When Casey asked " And, Grandmother? She didn't suffer, during her own passing, did she?" Queenie said "No. Grand-mother passed, in her sleep." When Casey asked "And Priory? That Jack-of-all-trades? What became of him?" Queenie would say "He injured himself, and passed, while in recovery. He just wasn't the same, after Grandmother passed" After an extended moment of silence, Casey asked "So, for what purpose have you extended a call for me to return to our home?" Queenie would say "That is the most perplexing part of this situation. What would be your response if I were to infer that Candeshoe actually has real, live, spirits, in residence?" When Casey would ask "Live spirits?" Queenie would say "Apologies, I meant to infer that there seem to be actual entities in residence. I have no other definition to offer." When Casey would ask "How many entities, and at what point did the activity begin?" Queenie would say "I believe there may be four, or five entities present, at the moment. As for when they began appearring, that would be approximately two months after Priory's passing. Once he, and Grandmother, had passed, the house seemed to begin eminating with spirtual energy." When Casey asked "Please explain", Queenie would say "spirits, shadows, or nearly transparent persons, have been observed, walking the halls, after closing time." When Casey asked "What do you mean "transparent"?" Queenie would say "I have no other definition, to offer" When Casey would say "Okay, what other events might have transpired?" Queenie would say "In the time, since Priory's passing, there have been several reports, of activity, on the grounds. The majority of this has been reported in the after-hours time, when my husband and I have closed up Candleshoe, for the evening" When Casey would ask "let me guess, more of Wilhelms tales, about Captain Joshua, roaming the halls, tapping the walls, in search of his buried treasure?" Queenie would break a wide smile as she said "I know. It sounded silly, then, as well. But, no, this is not about that old bed-time story." When Casey would say "Then what?" Queenie took on a totally serious appearance, as she would say "My husband and I have stood what you Americans would call a "stake-out", and we have made our own observations." When Casey would ask "Observations, of what?" Queenie would say "I am un-certain. It would seem as though someone is walking the house, carrying candles. My husband, and I, have tried using binoculars, to see the perpetrators yet all we see, with the binoculars, is the candles, floating about" When Casey would ask "What do you experience, from inside the building?" Queenie would say "Rooms become chilled, and even I have felt as if being observed, when, in fact, I am, completely, alone." When Casey would ask "If I may inquire, why do you, not just take up another residence?" Queenie would remind Casey "Candleshoe is our home. Grandmother took us in, when no one else wanted us." Casey would agree. After all, Grandmother was the very same reason why, years before, Casey Brown had been a "wreck", when she gave Grandmother her own farewell. When Casey asked "Have any belongings been tampered with, or been mis-placed?" Queenie would say "A few volumes have been re-positioned, and two lamps have been re-positioned" Casey looked at Queenie, then asked "As if someone were reading?" Queenie would say "Most odd behavior, but, yes. In fact, though, it does remind me of your first days, on the premises, especially that night, when you practically destroyed the library, searching for that clue. What was it?" Casey could, still, quote it, from memory: "For the sun-rise student, there is treasure among books" When Casey would ask Queenie "You dont think that someone is, still, after the treasure, do you?" Queenie would say "Heavens, no. Everyone, from Compton-in-the-Hole, to Buckingham Palace, is aware that Captain Joshua St. Edmond's treasure has been secured. Even the Crown agreed that the "booty" was found on St. Edmond property, and has been in our possession, for centuires" When Casey added "Not that you knew it was here" Queenie would say "Most correct". After another extended conversation, about where the spirits preferred to manifest, and at about what hours, Casey, and Queenie would just have re-loacted, to the spacious kitchen, for some sandwiches, when Wilhelm would join them, with depressing news. "With apologies, Queenie, but I am obligated to report that there is just nothing I can do, with the unit. I do not know how many times Priory fixed it, but it is just, plain, worn out" Queenie would say "There goes another five thousand pounds. Thank you for trying. I will contact the contractor" Then Wilhelm would give Casey his greetings, a proper, gentlemans bow, then be off, back to work. When Casey would ask "What is going to cost five thousand pounds?" Queenie would remind Casey "Candleshoe is very old. Even far older than Grandmother was. Although our operational systems may have been the most modern innovations, of their time, time has caught up with us, and left our systems behind." Casey would agree "What was, once, new, is now, old, and obsolete" Queenie would add "And Candeshoe has plenty of both. Thankfully, now, we can afford to do more of the repair work. It is just so sorrowful that we are required to spend so much, of Captain Joshua's fortune, just to continue operating" Casey would have suggested tearing down the place, then re-building, out of new materials, and with new systems, but the estate was so historical that Casey knew that, if such a thing was, even mentioned, the response would not be favorable. No, best to stay focused on these so-called "spirits". Casey, like Queenie, wondered what anyone could want, in this, old, place. Casey had a plan, though, atleast to deal with the trespassers. She would contact a military supply business, and order a pair, of surplus binoculars. Casey was preparing to go out, on "stake-out", herself. She wanted her own, first-hand, look at these "spirits". When her package arrived, Casey, specifically, rquested, of all members of the household, that NONE to mention anything, especially in the village, about her package. When Queenie would inquire "For what purpose are you being so secretive, about your plans, and deployment?" Casey would say " I do not want our "visitors" to learn of my intentions until we are ready to act." When Queenie would say "You are not suggesting that the villagers would be involved, in such activities, are you?" Casey would say "No. I do not believe that they are, directly, involved, but it would make sense, for those, who are involved, to have "ears" in the village" While awaiting the arrival of her package, Casey had made a point, of speaking, privately, with Wilhelm, about events at Candleshoe. Although Wilhelm agreed that something was going on, he did not, quite, agree, with Queenie, about the "who". When Casey would ask "Whats causes you to come to such conclusions?" Wilhelm would say "Following the passing, of Priory, when I had the run of the grounds, I began considering the many, secret, passages, within the walls, of Candleshoe. My curiousity lead me to discover a possibility, which I had not, previously,considered". When Casey would ask "May I inquire what that possibility might be?" Wilhelm would say "During part of my position, as General Maintenance Person, I am tasked with finding obstructions, and deterioration, of the structure, and informing Queenies husband of same. I prepare the reports, as accurately as possible, then he sends out the request for bids." When Casey would say "Okay, so you are much better acquainted with Candleshoe's construction than any other person. What matter is it which has gained your attention, in this matter?" Wilhelm would say "While in the course of my daily activities, I have come across another of those secret chambers. You remember, the kind in which Clara Grimsworthy found Captain Joshua's will" Casey would say "Yes, I recall Harold Bundage mentioning that Clara found the document while cleaning Captain Joshua's old room" Wilhelm would say "Excellent, so you know such apertures do exist. Now, what would be your opinion, if I were to inform you that I have discovered yet another, of those apertures, and, within its confines, I had located another map." When Casey would say "Please, not another treasure map", Wilhem would say "Not precisely. More of a map, of spaces, located within, and under, the property." When Casey would ask "What type of spaces?" Wilhelm would say "I have investigated only a minimum number of the passages, to date, however, I have deduced that, while some of them lead, from room to room, inside Candleshoe, others lead off, from the foundation, and to points well beyond the property line." When Casey would ask "Just how FAR, beyond the property would you deduce that these spaces extend?" Wilhelm would say "It would be easier to show you, than to attempt to explain". As a result, Wilhelm would drive Casey to the nearby church where, past the church, Wilhelm would show Casey the local cemetary and, within, the St. Edmond family crypt. There was nothing unusual, about the crypt. It was built in the style which suggested "titled land owners", which, ofcourse, the St. Edmonds were. No surprise, there. Once inside the crypt, Wilhelm would show Casey where both Grandmother, and Priory, were entombed. Priory was emtombed, here, as well, instead of in a local, servants, cemetary, by the wishes of the remaining family members (Queenie, Peter, Wilhelm, and Anna). After showing Casey the crypts, Wilhelm would show Casey a torch holder, which held an un-lit, flame-style, torch. Wilhelm would, then, instruct Casey "Do not be alarmed, at what happens, next" As Casey was asking "Define what is about to...." when Wilhelm pulled the torch holder from the wall, with the holder turning out to be a lever, turned it, in a precise fashion and, while he was doing this, Casey heard gears grinding, and stone moving. In a moment, Casey watched as the crypt door shut, and a bolt shunted into place. When Casey turned back to Wilhelm, he had a torch (flashight, in America) in hand, then handed another one to Casey. Wilhelm then said "Follow me, please", then he entered what looked like a natural tunnel, of sorts. The tunnel would lead down, into the Earth, yet at a slope, which was gentle enough not to impede progress. After walking a distance, Casey would say "Stop! I have a feeling that we are headed back to Candleshoe. Just tell me where this tunnel terminates" Wilhelm would say "Would you believe me if I were to state that it terminates in the Butler Pantry?" When Casey would ask "The Butlers Pantry? Why would a butler need a secret way into Candleshoe?" Wilhelm would say "In-correct. This is not a discreet entry point. This is just one, of several, discreet, EXIT points." When Casey would ask "Discreet exit points? What would be wrong with using the front door?" Wilhelm would lay it out, for Casey. "Casey, when Candleshoe was in its primary construction phase, some centuries ago, not only were there no local constables, but the only protection, which nobles had, was the royal military. In those times, it would take weeks for a message, to send aid, to even reach the royal court. Then more time, to mount a brigade, and send the soldiers in, to subdue any trouble. It is my impression that these spaces were built, in secret, as ESCAPE routes, for the nobility. Let the nobility escape, and secret themselves away, until the soldiers had restored order" Casey was about to ask "And you mean no one ever thought to look for these spaces?", but thought better, of the question, upon remembering how clever Captain Joshua had been. Who else would have thought that a family treasure was best "hidden" right in plain sight? After Casey and Wilhelm exited the passage, and the crypt, Casey asked Wilhelm "Are you proposing that someone HAS found these tunnels, learned their secret, and are using the spaces, to gain access to Candleshoe?" Wilhelm would suggest "Does that not sound more plausable than the idea that spirits have, just recently, decided to engage in haunting the property?" Casey had to agree. The question was: How to PROVE who was right? This is why Casey had ordered the military-style binoculars. Boy, did someone have a surprise coming to them, when Casey caught them in the gaze, of these "babies". Two nights, of after-hours watches, lead to no results, and the three watch-sitters (Queenie, Casey, and Queenie's husband) were just settling in, to their "hunters blind", on the third evening, when, just as Queenie was passing coffee around that the action began. Placing coffee aside, three pairs, of binoculars, were trained on the homes upper floors. Queenie was first to spot movement, and her husband had to silence her, from giving away their position. He would whisper, in her ear "Yes, beloved, we see them, as well" As the three began tracking the movements, even Queenie's husband would check his own binoculars, then whisper "I thought that these were supposed to be "sportsmens" binoculars. All I can see are those candles, moving about" When Casey would train her miltary-style, and laser-targetted, binoculars, on the same target which the man had been viewing, Casey found that her binoculars could find, range, and designate, the candles, easily. Her optical display even showed how distant the candles were. (Thankfully, during her time, in England, which had adopted the Metric system, LONG BEFORE America had, Casey had learned metric the "hard way", by having to use the system, in class.) This is why she only had to think, for a second, to remember how the system worked. (Thank you, Grandmother, for making Casey complete her studies) Once Casey had the candles targetted, though, a new problem emerged, when she tried what Queenie's husband had just tried. Adjusting the binoculars to see who was holding the candles. As Casey whispered "Now, lets just see who is HOLDING you "buggers" (British slang, for things like the candles)." When Casey adjusted the laser-targetting, on the area, around the candles, all the optics would show her was a faint, green, shadow. No measurements, or target-lock. It was as if the candles were floating, on their own. When Queenie's husband would ask "What did you see?" Casey would say "You wouldn't believe me, if I told you". After two more, similar, watches, Casey got smart and, when the "spirits" began walking the corridors, she whispered, to the husband and wife, "Inform me of the very first location where the spirits are sighted. Floor, room, and location, in room". After another watch, Queenie looked at Caseys drawing, of where the spirits were moving, and said "That about sums it up, except, ofcourse, for those few, who show up, only occassionally." Casey promised Queenie "We will deal with them, later. Let us handle the orderly ones, primarily". Casey had thought that it would be so easy. Since one, of the "regular" spirits, always seemed to start its haunt, in the Library Sitting Room, Casey put up a chair, in the same, general, area. Based upon Wilhelms map, Casey knew about where to sit, since the map showed an old, and long unused, passageway, behind some bookcases. When Casey had checked, behind the bookcases, to make sure the passage was, still, there, she found plenty of cob-webs, and no signs, of recent footsteps. After that, Casey just sat back and, with the help of some of Queenies coffee, waited and watched, for the "show" to begin. What should have baffled Casey was the difference, between how the passage door sounded, when she opened it, versus the sound, when her "guests" arrived. When Casey had opened the door, it had groaned, on its rusty hinges. Casey had told herself to remind Wilhelm that these doors needed oil, or grease. When her "guests" arrived, however, Casey should have noticed that the door made no sound, as the "guests" opened the passageway, to enter the Library. After Casey had a more-or-less solid view, of the intruders, including their hokey costumes, she stood up, turned on a lamp, then turned and started to say "Gotcha!", but only was able to verbalize the "Got...", when she turned to see the room was empty. When she wondered if the intruders had seen HER, and slipped out of the room, Casey rushed to the nearby door, and looked both ways, down the hallway. Knowing that no one was fast enough to run that far, and be clear of sight, before she opened the door, Casey went back to her lamp, switched it off, and got the surprise, of her evening. Once the room was cast back into shadow, Casey would turn back to her seat, only to see that the "intruders" were, still, in the room, WITH her. When Casey turned the light ON, again, they vanished, yet, when she turned it off, they were present. When Casey looked, closer, she noticed that the pair did not seem to be frightening, nor did they even seem to notice her. They just walked along the bookcase, as though seeking a particular volume. When Casey tried standing in their way, to see how they would react, she was startled when the two just walked right through her, as if Casey were not even there. When she called out, to them, there was no reply. Shortly after the "spook" session ended, and the three humans returned to the kitchen, for a re-cap, and a nightcap, Wilhelm would join them, while re-counting his own experience, with a spirit, that very night. Wilhelm would say "I did not believe it, at first, yet there it stood, before me." When Queenie would ask "WHAT stood before you?", Wilhelm would say "One of Captain Joshua's fellow privateers. Full uniform, everything. In fact, I thought he was a local, at first. He looked so REAL! I did not even realize that he was a spirit, until he passed right through a section, of wall, where the old map shows that a door was, once, mounted." When Casey would ask "What did he want?" Wilhelm would say "The man asked me to follow him to a place even I did not know existed, within Candleshoe." When Queenie asked "Did he reveal his identity?" Wilhelm would say "I was so shocked, I never bothered to question him. I just followed where he lead." When Casey asked "Where did he lead you?" Wilhelm would say "To a space, under the house. Some kind of storage area. Filled, to capacity, with hand-written volumes, I believe". When Queenie would correct him, saying "You mean journals." Wilhelm would say "I would think so." Casey would ask "Why would a spirit bother to lead you to a cashe of old journals?" Then, she remembered how the spirits, in the library, seemed to be looking for some volume. Could the two possibly be related? With Queenie, and her husband, busy, by day, running Candleshoe, that left just Wilhelm to assist Casey, in locating the inside entrance, to the journals hidden space. Man, was this place ever well-concealled. Had it not been for the spirits visit, the family might, never, have found the volumes. When Wilhelm, and Casey, gained access, to the chamber of volumes, neither was, really, sure of what they expected to find. Both thought it must be something important. Otherwise, why would the spirit bother to show it to Wilhelm? Although Casey was not surprised that she found it impossible to read the journals, what surprised her was when Wilhelm said the English, used, in the journals, was old enough, that even HE could only guess at the contents. When Casey asked "Well, then, what do we do, with them?" Wilhelm suggested "We could send them to the historical society, and let the staff, there, translate the volumes." Casey figured Why not? After all, what use were volumes, which they could not read? Shorty after the volumes were carted off, though, it seems that the spirits made their dis-pleasure known, by no less than toppling one of the carts. It seems that the attempted removal, of the volumes, really started "ramping up" the activity, at the estate. It would seem that the removal, of the volumes, had caused the spirits to become most restless, indeed. But, as even Queenie would point out "Why did the spirit show Wilhelm where to FIND the volumes, if the spirits did not want the volumes removed?" When the deceased began to out-number the living, by ten-to-one, Casey would agree with Queenie that it couldn't hurt to put the volumes back, where they were found. Simple enough, right? WRONG! It seems that the spirits wanted some form of "pennance", from the living. Just one spirit, though, made his intentions "known", to the humans, by gesturing to the volume, and presented it, to Wilhelm, as though saying "I WANT you to READ it" When Wilhelm would say "Apologies, I just do not understand your language", the spirit just kept gesturing. This would be when Casey would ask "Do you happen to have a computer scanner, in the house?" Queenie would say "Absolutely, no home, computing, device would be complete, without one" When Queenies husband would activate the estates computer, and ask "Any site, in particular you wish to browse?" Casey would suggest "Try "translations of old English", then Queenie would correct Casey, saying "Try "Translations of historic English, and its contemporaries"" When the "upload file" icon came on the screen, Queenies husband would begin scanning the documents, then transmitting them, over the internet. It would be over an hour, before the internet provided a response, to the inquiry. When the inquiry was received, though, it was less than inspiring. Most of the translations turned out to be nothing more than personal journals, of various sea-farers. Logs of places sailors had been to, what sailors had seen, and what sailors had collected. Only a very few contained entries, saying things like "I have been at sea, these past, ten, years, since I have no wish to return home, to the "arranged marriage", which awaits me. I have decided to marry my ship, and just keep my distance, from home. I do not want to be like (name obscured), and end up in a mmarriage, not of love, but of mutual loathing". When Casey would ask "Man, had they never heard of the concept of dissolution of marriage?" Queenie would say "No such practice existed, in their time. Only death could end an arranged marriage". At the end, of one sailors journal, was a reference, to a destination, and a final request that, after the sailors death, that the journal be returned to the English homeland, and presented to the widow. Aftre skimming the ledger, those, in attendance learned that a sailor had used his share, of the ships booty, to BUY an island, and some locals, to care for the land. The sailor then sent regular payments, to the islands staff, for maintenance and upkeep. When the man had enough money, to retire, he raised a family, who were instructed that, upon the sailors death, they were to log the pertinent facts, then return the ledger to the widow. The final entry, made by a crown official, would read "Un-abe to local said widow. Un-able to verify if widow even alive. Various stories persist, however, un-able to verify any. Some sources claim the woman died, of disease, while others say that she "effected an escape"." When Casey would ask "Effected an escape? Does that infer that the woman was held captive?" Queenie would correct her "Effecting an escape is the English term for the American version, entitled "Eloping"." When Casey would say "So, she ran off. Does it say what became of the mans belongings? How this journal ended up inside Candleshoe?" Queenie would say "In-conclusive. It would seem that, in the end, the journal would be assigned to a friend, of the sailor, who would deliver it to the "proper source". Still, Casey would want to know "Why the big deal? Was there someone the spirits wanted the humans to contact? If so, whom?" About the only item, of any interest, to the living, was another journals log entry, concerning another treasure. When Casey was like "Not another treasure hunt", it seems that a spirit took offense, by thowing something, light, yet solid, at the woman. When Casey would say "Hey, I have a family, to think about" A spirit seemed riled, until Queenie would state "Why do we not take some time, to ponder this situation." As if the spirit understood, they quieted down. By the time the group was back in the kitchen, for some food, Wilhelm, and Queenies husband had some news. "We have established the location of this "treasure". It would seem to be located on an un-charted island, in the Pacific." When Casey would ask "How do you know where it is, if its un-charted?" Queenies husband would say "By the coordinates, in the journal. The sailor provides directions, which are almost as accurate as GPS." With the distance, which would need to be covered, the discussion was "tabled", until later. When the family would try to, simply, return the journals, to their previous resting places, no one knew why the spirits objected, but some objected, most passionately (for spirits, that is). It was not until Casey would ask "What do they expect us to do? Return their stuff to relatives?" AT that moment, all action ceased and Queenie would say "It would appear that is the course of action, which the spirits wish us to undertake." Swell, Casey thought. When she decided to call her husband, with an update, on activities, she forgot to switch to American English, leaving her husband to ask "WHAT is the problem?" When Casey would say "Forgive me, I have just been here, for so long, and long held tradions expire, very slowly, in this environment" After that call, the next phase would be to start researching any surviving relatives, of the sailors. How difficut could this be? After all, it had only been centuries, since the journals were housed. It would only be after the process to return the volumes, to the space, was begun that Queenie, and Queenie's husband, Casey, and Wilhelm, would watch, as several spirits would enter the space, check their volumes, then return to their rest. Despite their best efforts, though, not one, of the living, could encourage the deceased to communicate. After the deceased were back at rest, Wilhelm would notice a hole, in a nearby wall. When he widened the hole, he found not only a passageway, but additional spaces, off to the sides. Queenie thought it reminded her of what Hades might look like. Casey, though, thought it, more, resembled an American subway system. (What Great Britain would call the Underground). As the family walked the corridors, of this place, ALL were amazed that this place had, never, been discovered. Especially with all it contained. Ancient crypts, with very OLDE English lettering, on their surfaces, make-shift bookcases, tapestries, clothes, an armoury, and even some sections, which contained more rare, and valuable, metals, as well as jewels, and so on. Wilhelm even discovered a passageway, whose identification seemed to either have worn off, or been cut off. Since Queenie, and her husband, were not as curious, as Casey, and Wilhelm, the couple returned to Candleshoe, to contemplate what these, new, finds, meant, for the old estate, even as Wilhelm lead Casey into a tunnel which, if he was correct, did not end at the cemetary. Boy! Was it LONG, though. After awhile, when Casey mentioned "I dont know about you, but I hope we see dayight, soon". Just over a mile, maybe two, at the most, beyond this point, Wilhelm spotted a light source, at the end of the tunnel. When the two reached the point of light, they found themselves peering through a crack, in a wall panel, whose other side was the den, of a neighbors house. Once Wilhelm was sure that the room, beyond the panel was abandoned, he slipped out, just long enough to verify WHOSE house they had entered. When he re-entered the tunnel, he gave Casey the "Be QUIET" signal, then lead her back to Candleshoe. Only once back on their own property, would Wilhelm tell Casey the basics of a disagreement, between the families, from centuries ago. Queenie, who was an "expert" on Candleshoe, by this time, then filled in the details. Sure, at one time, the families had been close, but, then a falling out had occurred. It seems that an arranged marriage had been contracted, long before, but without the consent of the couple, who were to be betrothed. The story was that, upon reaching marriageable age, the trouble started when both young people were found to be engaged to others. When the families reminded the young, of contractual committments, the young had said "No one asked US". When the young had refused to take part, in the contract, and live out lives, married to a person they might have "liked", but, by no means, loved, tempers had flared, on both sides. It seems that the family, at Candleshoe, was more inclined to accept the "childrens" decision, and not force the matter. The other family had demanded that the "children" marry, period. When faced with contractual marriage, or being dis-owned, by family, the young chose to be dis-owned. When Candleshoe would not denounce the young peoples decision, this had caused a rift, between the neighbors, which lasted for generations. It would not be until the past 200 years, or so, that the families would begin healing the old wounds. Well, just as the family thought that the spirit problem was solved, and Casey was preparing to return to America, two more problems showed up. Namely, Harold W. Bundage, and Clara Grimsworthy. Although Queenie would say that, like the others, she, too, could see Clara, plain as day, she said "It is not possible" When Casey asked "Why?" Queenie lead Casey back to the scrapbooks, which Grandmother had loved, so dearly, and showed Casey the pages, which the family had not known about, until after Casey left, for America. According to the media, Clara Grimsworthy had died, shortly after entering prison, and during some, un-specified, prison yard, "event". Okay, so Clara Grimsworthy was a spirit. What about Harold W. Bundage? According to the media, Bundage had been sentenced, yet his prison term had been commutted, to be served, in a nursing home, after his health began to falter, and exceeded what the prison could care for. He was, currently, confined to a nursing home, under round-the-clock care. (For some reason, Casey just could not feel any sympathy, for the man.) Still, Casey wanted to be sure. She wanted to SEE Bundage, for herself. When Queenie would drive Casey to the home, in question, both women were astounded to learn that Harold W. Bundage was not only present, but in I.C.U. When Queenie quiried the staff, staff verified that Bundage had fallen into a coma (surprisingly enough, just days before he showed up, in spirit form, at Candleshoe). When Casey asked the doctors about Bundages condition, the doctors would not give any committment, until, or IF, Bundage re-gained consciousness. Until then, it was just "Wait and See". On the drive, back to Candleshoe, Casey would ask Queenie "Do YOU believe in "Out of Body Experiences"?" Queenie would say that she was not sure. She was not about to agree that her home was being "haunted" by a commotose man, and a vengeful, deceased, former, servant. By the time the ladies returned to Candleshoe, though, it would seem as if "All Hell had broken loose", between the two con-artists, as Queenie, and Casey walked in to watch, even as Wilhelm, and Queenie's husbbandn watched as the silent pair, of spiritual images had some sort of "ghost fight". Queenie's husband would say "They have been going at it, like that, silently, for the better part of an hour. Wilhelm and I closed the house, until they are finished". Soon, "Bundage" and "Grimsworthy" had an audience, of four, sitting back, and laughing, as the spirits picked up invisible items, and tossed them at one another. That, and plenty of silent "shouting" about something. What it was, no human could guess. Still, it was hilarious, watching the spirits "pummelling" one another. After awhile, though, it seems that the spirits tired of the "fight", and exchanged some more words, before first Grimsworthy, then Bundage, dissolved, into thin air. Soon after this, the nursing home had sent word. Bundages condition had taken a turn for the worse. If doctors hadn't known the man was in a coma, and sedated, they would have sworn he was involved in a major league knock-down, drag-out, fight. But HOW, when he wasn't even awake? It would seem that the "strain" was too much, on his already-weak heart, which gave out. Bundage would receive a paupers funeral. Ironically, not far from where Grimsworthy would, also, have been buried, in another paupers grave. When Candleshoe would appear to have come to Rest-in-Peace, for the next two weeks, Casey would have Queenie agree to contact her, in America, if anything else turned up. With another heart-felt "Goodbye", to her family, Casey would drive back to the airport, where she thought she felt Grandmothers presence, and heard Grandmothers voice, saying "Be happy, my child". Casey just wondered what "happiness" was. Sure, she had a family, in America, but, to Casey, Candleshoe would, always be her true home. A place she hated to leave, yet again. It was just as Casey was wiping some tears, from her eyes that her cell-phone rang...