THE HAUNTING PAST MYSTERY OF THE CHALICE

THE HAUNTING PAST: MYSTERY OF THE CHALICE While almost everyone, who has studied history, especially European history, is aware of the legend, of a magnificent chalice, The problem is that, over the centuries, the chalice has transformed, from being a simple, drinking, vessel, into claims which include that warriors, who drink, from the chalice, would become invincible, in battle. Then, there were the stories, of the chalice being "magical". Then, there are the inevitable rumors, that women, hoping to remain young, beautiful, and desirable, for all eternity, should either drink the blood, of virgins, from the chalice, or that the chalice be used to pour virgins blood over the womans body, so the women can bathe in the blood. Yet another, ridiculous, rumor, claimed that, if a man drank an un-specified beverage, from the chalice, that the man would would be "rewarded", with an erection, allowing him to have all of the sex he desired. This is what Tami and I LOVED, about myths, legends, and lore. While most tales START with a thread, of truth, at their core, the problem would be the myths, which grew up, around the stories. Soometimes, such tales could be pretty WILD. Still, when Mr. Brown contacted us, saying "I have another case, for you", then added "How long before re-fuelling, and re-provisioning, are completed?" When I provided a rough estimate, Mr. Brown would do a mental calculation, then say "You wont make it, for the current event, however, you should be in place, before the next event". When Tami would ask "What event would that be?" Mr. Brown would be most clever as he said "Its in the file". Shortly after Mr. Brown signed off, on the comm, we received our latest assignment. Once we reviewed the first page, I KNEW, from watching historical documentaries, just WHAT object that the file referred to. The file made referrence to a golden chalice. History claimed that the chalice was fashioned, by a king, sometime between 300, and 700, A.D. The chalices history is attributed to a stern king, and his loyal subjects. At some point, during the kings lifetime, the legend says that a traveller visited the kingdom and, having heard tales, of the subjects loyalty, to the king, the traveller had questioned the king in regards to HOW we could KNOW how loyal his subjects were. As a result, of this question, the king devised a test. The king sponsored a royal artisan, to create a chalice, which would be decorated with diamonds, rubies, and emeralds. The chalice was, then, placed by an often-used spring. The king, then, proclaimeed "ALL may use this chalice, for ANY purose, provided the chalice remains by the stream". Over the following decades, locals, and travellers, admired, wrote about, and even drank from, the chalice. Wash women, and merchants, filled water casks, from the chalice. Even laborers drank from the chalice, to quench thirst. The reason who so many people thought the legends were true was due to the sheer volume, of stories, which surrounded the chalice. Similar to Atlantis, the chalice would come to be known, "world-wide". Legend even suggests that the chalice remained, by the water, until long after the kings death was verified. Mr. Brown had, even enclosed an "estimated value" projection, for the chalice. Provided the accounts, of the chalice, were genuine, and reliable, the chalices modern value was estimated somewhere between $900 million, and $2.5 billion, U.S. dollars. According to the file, however, those, who were searching, for the chalice, were not in the search, for the money. These individuals were prusing the chalice due to some age old tale, which claimed that the possessor, of the chalice, would be "invincible", as well as being "Completely irresistable", to members, of the opposite sex. (Boy! What people will not believe in.) The file said that, currently, atleast two clans, which had been "at war", for centuries, and had fought to stalemate after stalemate, now wanted to "break the tie". Now, each side was searching for its own "nuclear weapon". A person, or object, so powerful, that the other side would cringe, in fear, of the enemy. While Irelands people are respected, for their pride, in thier nation, Dublin feared that, if the stories, of the chhalice, were true, that the deaths would not end with the clan battles. The governments worst fear was that, IF the truimphant clan had possession, of an ancient artifact, that the clan would not only proceed, to demolish the Irish Republican Army, but that, "drunk", with victory, the clan would proceed to overthrow Irelands government, then appoint themselves as Irelands rulers. As a result, our mission directive was simple. We were to prevent either side from laying claim, to any THING, which might be considered "magical". In short, similar to the Monuments Men, of World War Two, Tami and I were to "sneak in", ahead of the clans, and remove anything, which might be used as a "nuclear option". "Piece of cake", really. Considering that we were not certain of WHAT we sought, or where it was located. When I asked our pilots how the Irish felt, about America. Specifically if they, like France, were opposed to America's never-ending invasion, of the Middle East. Our co-pilot would say "The last I heard, Ireland is remaining neutral. That is, so long as Washington D.C. does NOT order an invasion. Unless they do so, we should encounter no resistence." The Irish, however, like most governments, remained hesitant to allow American "combat" aircraft into their air-space. This was especially true, for bombers, including stealth bombers. The U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff was compelled to issue a WRITTEN statement, stating that our "bomber" was NOT carrying any offensive ordinance. While Mr. Brown, and the Pentagon, would assure the Irish, that America had NO plans, to attack, or invade Ireland, Tami and I spent our time trying to seperate historical fact from fiction. While Ireland is a PROUD nation, with a LONG history, in both written, and verbal, formats, the problem was in trying to distinguish fact, from fiction, was more easily SAID, than done. The main thing, which Tami and I learned, during the research, was that the Irish are PROUD of their ancestors. There are endless numbers, of tales, regarding brave warriors. Men who fought, in life, and watched over the lands, even in death. Ofcourse, there are, also, tales, of tax collectors. While some of these people ONLY collected what was due, to the crown, others were greedy, demanding not only money, as payment, but women as well. SOME, of these tales claim that, on specific types, of nights, the spirits, of these "Ebenezer Scrooges" can be viewed, walking their property. The question is: Are the spirits guarding the treasure, which they accumulated, in life? OR, are they walking about, to prevent the escape, of their victims? Those, who slaved, and died, at the masters hands? Then, there were the tales, of everything from headless horsemen, to phantom herds, of cattle. The one section, of Irish mythology, which Tami and I agreed to ignore, were the tales, of nude spirits. Whether male of female, Tami and I agreed that NO European, spirits would be caught, even dead, out, in public, in the nude. Ireland might have a violent history, however, their people retained their pride, and proper behavior. By the time Ghost Ship Two was granted passage, into Irish air space, Tami and I felt as we had, both in Sweden, and in Germany. We wished that we spoke the local language. One, good, point, to our restricted flight path. It would land us, directly in the middle of the "target area", to begin the search. We woud be landing near some cliffs which, according to sources, held plenty of caves. Our question was: "Were we searching for objects, of power, or simply symbols?" WHAT would an Irish warrior be seeking, if they wanted to wield power? Not surprisingly, Ghost Ship Two had an escort, of fighters, on our way into Ireland. This time, though, the Irish sent in eight fighters. Two, for escort, to our destination, and six, to ensure that we were "blown to bits", IF we tried anything. G.S. 2's sensors soon sounded the tone, letting us know that our escorts were "locked on" to our plane. Even after G.S.2 landed, the fighters circled, until our engines were shut down, cold. The reason was simple: There was TALK, in Washington D.C. that, if the violence, inside Ireland did not end, by a specified date, that SOME, in Washington D.C., were preparing plans, to send yet ANOTHER, invasion, force, this time, into the Irish homeland. Ofcourse, the Irish had, wisely, taken the rumors serriously, since Irelands embassy, in America, had received "intelligence reports", stating that the Pentagon was preparing a five-pronged, invasion, plan, including some "saturation bombing". The same kind of bombing which continued to be used to completely LEVEL any areas, of the Middle East, which resisted America's invasion forces. What concerned the Irish government the most was just how COLDLY the Pentagon had projectted 500,000, to 1 million, Irish dead, within the first twenty-four hours, of such an invasion. As a result, Ireland, now, had TWO problems, to deal with. The first being to prevent radicals, from destroying the Irish homeland, by acquiring artifacts, which legend said possessed "mystical powers". The second was preparing a counter-offensive, in case Washington D.C. decided it would be in "America's Security Interest", to invade the Irish homeland. According to statements, issued to the media, by the Irish government, If Washington D.C. decided to invade, then the Irish promised to be prepared to "bathe the Irish lands, and waters, with the invaders blood". While, from Washington D.C., the president held several, telephone conversations, with Dublin, the cabinet members suggested a more personal visit. A way to show Ireland that America "meant no harm". Before departing Washington D.C., however, the president had ordered the invasion rumor be tracked back, to its original source. This person was easy to find, since they were holding a "strategy meeting", over which nations America should invade, and in what order to invade each nation. The groups goal would be not only to SILENCE all opposition, to a DECADES long, invasion, of the Middle East, but to FORCE other nations to enter this "war", on the AMERICAN side. If achieving this goal meant bombing cities, and torturing, and killing, local populations, then so be it. AMERICAN safety, and security HAD to be the HIGHEST PRIORITY, period. (No matter what the cost) While the radicals presented themselves in a way, which COULD be compared to Adolf Hitlerr, when the president lead the F.BI. into the discussion group, the president "read" the faces, of the attendees. Most, it seems, were only present, to listen to the speakers words. When the president viewed the attack plans, on the projection screen, the president, simply, could NOT believe how MANY nations, which the radicals, INSIDE the U.S. Government, wanted to invade. When the president counted atleast twenty-five invasion plans, their question was "WHERE did these people plan to secure both the equipment, and the warm BODIES, for twenty-five, seperate, inavasions? The military was spread, thin enough, as it was. This, with Iraq, and Afghanistan NO closer to surrender, to our invasions forces, then they had been, to Soviet invasion forces, back in the 1980's. Once the F.B.I. agent-in-charge would notify the president "I THINK we hit them where it hurts. It will take them months, maybe YEARS, to re-build their plans." The president, however, was NOT happy, with having to deny Americans "Freedom of Speech/Asembly". The president only hoped that, by breaking up this group, combined with a personal visit, to Ireland, would assure the Irish that America had no plans, to attack the Irish homeland. It would seem that, by the time we had received clearance, to enter Irish air space, the Irish had accepted the presidents "offerings". America would NOT be invading Ireland, in the forseeable future. When we landed, and began un-packing, Irish locals came forth to ask "Are you an advanced scout?" When Tami would say "We are detectives", and locals seemed confused, by this, I remembered my British lingo, from Watching B.B.C. I would inform the locals "You would call us detective inspectors". This seemed to lessen the tension, among group members. When locals asked us about the spirits, of a town crier, or the spirit, of some place, called Kilbreath Castle, Tami would be the ones to point out that our primary concern was the locating of a jewelled chalice. When locals asked what we wanted, with the kings chalice, Tami would say "If we are able to locate the chalice, we are to deliver the chalice to Dublin, for safe-keeping". When locals asked us "What about the scepter, of King McGuffin?" Tami and I looked at one another, as if to say "What are they TALKING about?" The locals would say "So, you are NOT aware, of the kings scepter. In that case, once you finish your chores, with your ship, we invite you to return, with us, to the pub. We have much to discuss". When Tami filed our inital report, with the Brown Agency, she added "Please be advised that we suspect that this case will involve MORE than a drinking cup". We were right, to think this. While the Irish were not so comfortable, with a man, who drank only non-fermented beverages, once the locals had a few drinks, some age old records books were brought forward, and our REAL "education" began. The kings scepter, as it turns out, was not just any "stick". While its core was made of iron, its surface was covered, layers deep, in bright, yellow, gold. The upper end, of the scepter, was embedded with diamonds, rubies, and emeralds. At the tip, of the scepter, legend says, was a sphere, of "knowledge", and "power". Legend says that a king, who wielded ths scepter, could either peer, into the sphere, and forsee events, to come, OR, in "combat" mode, the sphere acted like a ray gun. While I was left to listen to the men, inside the pub, Tami was engaging some local women, in conversation, and learning MORE, about the actual spirits, which haunt Irish shores. Legends of men, who fought deadly duels, over maidens. Legends, of maidens, whose life-loves never returned, from battle. Legends, of children, most of whom died accidental deaths, while a few were murdered, for a variety of reasons. Both Tami and I were warned, of which approaches, to various locations, were un-safe for travel. What, still, astounded me was how, thousands of years, before computers, and C.A.D. design software had come along, tradesmen had managed to build strong, and water-tight, structures. These included emergency escape tunnels (For royalty to use, in case of crown overthrow). Tami and I were, also, warned, of spirits, such as Angus MacIntosh. A man who, according to legend, felt himself BETTER than everyone else. All because he held a county-wide title. While Angus MacIntosh was not, often, seen, either in life, nor in death, almost everyone, whom Tami and I spoke with, verified that Angus MacIntosh was NOT a man whom people wanted to be near, NOR to be at ODDS with. Legend says that "good old" Angus, while quick to temper, did NOT go around, slicing and chopping off, peoples heads (As history portrays such men). Instead, Angus is said to enjoy beating his victims to death. Legend says that Angus enjoys watching his victims pain, from close up, while watching the life flow, from their bodies. As a result, of such legends, villagers have sought to AVOID Angus MacIntosh, whenever possible. Both his living body, and, now, his spirit. Ofcourse, Tami and I were, also, warned to avoid the "women, in white". These were the spirits, of heart-broken women, whose "true loves" died at sea. While the men had been at sea, other suitors had tried to propose, to the women, however, the women spent their lives standing at the docks, night-after-night, year-after-year, hoping that true loves would return. This, even after sailors deaths were, officially, reported. When Tami was warned "Do not be deceived by the fact that the maidens spirits seem to hover over the tides. You see, in THEIR day, there WERE docks, which stretched out, beyond the present docks. It is the memory, of the old docks, where the spirits keep watch. Over time, however, the docks succomed to the elements. Now, the spirits watch the tides, from docks which no-longer exist." While Tami logged our daily report, I added my visual surveys, of the landscapes, even while checking the local caves. While I cannot say, for certain, what the source, of the moans, from the Moaning Cave were, I DID record the moan, as I documented the cave, from the top, of the cliff, to the waves, below. While locals belived that the moan belongs to some, ancient, king, who protected his wealth, in death, as he hoarded, in life, I found no evidence, either of human remains, or indication that this had, once, been a treasure, storage, place. Back at G.S.2, while Tami shivered, at the recorded moans, when we "washed" the audio, through the planes computers, all that the software would come up with was "No matches found". When Lysia com-linked us, saying "I dont know if you have been informed, as yet, however, in case you have not been informed, there are some horsemen which you should be aware of". When Tami would say "Dont say headless", Lysia would ask "Who said anything about headless? Near as we have discovered, here at the university, there are two, basic, types, of horsemen, in your area." When Tami would say "Okay, lets have it" Lysia would inform us of a man, named Donald McBride. Lysia would say "Legend says that, when Donald McBride viewed some raiders, coming ashore, he set out, at a gallop, to warn friends and family." When Tami would say "Let me guess. The raiders shot the man, to prevent the warning from being sounded" Lysia would say "Wrong. Legend says that, as Donald McBride rode off, a sudden, and violent, storm, arose, and Donald McBride died while enroute, to spread the warning." When Tami would ask "What happened, to the village?" Lysia would say "Near as we can understand, Donald McBride, soon after his death, came to friends, and family, in their dreams, announcing the approach, of the raiders, while apologizing for not appearing, in the flesh. Legend says that enough people saw the "vision", that villagers packed what they could carry, and moved to the safety, of the hills. There, they waited until the raiders passed through town, and departed." When Tami would say "Great story. Wheres the PROOF?" Lysia would say "After the raiders departed Ireland, search parties scoured the path, which Donald McBride would have used. Donalds body was located, beneath a lump of sand. Donalds body was dug up, and given a proper, Celtic, burial. Legend says that, since his death, villagers, always know, when either man, or nature, threatens the village. Any time danger is near, most villagers report "visions", of Donald McBride, riding, at a gallop, calling out "Danger is upon us!" Since Tami understood that Lysia had, already, done the research, on this topic, Tami would ask "When did Donald McBride die?" Lysia would say "Based upon the few "records", that we have access to, I would estimate somewhere between 450, and 500, A.D." When I would ask "Aside from dreams, has anyone witnessed Donald McBride, over the centuries?" Lysia would say "Other than occassional drunks, who claimed that Donald warned them to avoid serious accidents, there are only about 1,000 reports, all of which describe the same man." When Tami would say "I know you did not contact us, about a local, good, samaritan. Who ELSE haunts Irelands people?" Lysia would say "There is ANOTHER horseman. A man, reportedly named Pierre Bouchettte. Un-like Donald McBride, Pierre represented the WORST, of French society. Legend says that, given a few drinks, Pierre was willing to fight saber-duels, with anyone whom, he felt, had insulted him. Pierre is reported to have "run people through", inside pubs, AND he had a reputation that, if a vcitim tried to flee his wrath, Pierre would mount his horse, and be-head his fleeing victim." When Tami would ask "What became of Pierre?" Lysia would say "Once the mans wrath killed enough people, legend says that the victims families hired a gang, of six killers. It is reported that the killers found Pierre, in his bedroom, asleep, and stabbed him, one tiime, for each of his victims." When Tami would ask "What else do we know?" Lysia would say "The bad news is that, like Donald McBride, Pierre rides the lands, presumably searching for his killers. Here, however, is the BAD news. Over the years, since the 600's, when Pierre was executed, the spirit makes a habit, of be-heading any man, or WOMAN, whom he THINKS resembles his killers." When Tami would ask "Okay, so he kills people. How does that affect us?" Lysia would say "Pierre may have STARTED OUT, with six dead, however, Pierre continues to appear, and be-head, anyone whom he thinks might be connected with his death." When Tami would say "Ball-park it. How MANY people HAS Pierre killed, since the 600's?" Lysia would say "As far as we can determine, atleast 1,000 people." When Tami would suggest "So, WE should be careful IF we see a rider, while on this case." Lysia would say "Correct. Do NOT ASSUME it is Donald McBride. Not until you are certain". When Tami would ask "What information do you have, on chalices, and scepters?" Lysia would sigh, as she said "I really thought my degree WOULD make me knowledgeable. Able to provide any answer, that any one needed. Problem is..." Tami would add "Problem is, since your degree covers only a certain area, of research, you are learning that there is MUCH MORE, that you do NOT know. Things they never taught, in class." Lysia would nod as she said "All that I know, now, is how LITTLE I learned, in class". Tami would re-assure the woman "Dont worry. I am sure there are thousands of other people, ALL with degrees, just like you, thinking "Why are there so many thousands, of degree programs". When Tami brought Lysia "back on track", asking "What have you found, on chalices, and scepters?" Lysia would say "It is easier simply to send you the file, on our findings, to date. I want to caution you, though, not just about history, but about the fact that WE, at this university, THINK that this list is only 10% complete." Tami would say "Just send us what you have. We can take it from there. Send us more, when you have it." Well, if we thought the case was tough enough, with only chalices, to search for, we ended up having to add not only scepters, but, also, orbs, battle axes, annd even these spiked balls, which hang on chains, from clubs. There were, even legends, of service platters, whose reflections showed viewers either their true, inner, selves, or which prophesied the future. Then, there were legends, of crystals. Stones which, on sunny days, could blind, or even incinerate, an enemy. Since the list was so LONG, Tami suggested that we program the search, limited to chalices. Even with seven varriations, of search parameters, we, still, end up with twenty-five sites to research. When a member, of the Irish, federal police, contacted us, saying "There is rumor, that clan McGuffin has located, and is enroute to, one of the potential, resting places, of the chalice". When Tami would respond "Please notify us when the rumor, and destination, are confirmed" When the police officer would ask "Should we not intercept then BEFORE they reach their goal?" Tami would ask "Where is it you believe they are heading?" The officer would say "The Heatheren Waterfall." When Tami would ask "Why there?" The officer would say "Rumor has it that a king is buried there, along with the chalice." Tami would say "Keep us informed.", then she would do a web-search, even though she was certain of what the results would be. The internet confirmed what Tami THOUGHT that she remembered. The Heattheren Waterfall had been constructed just over a century ago. The waterfall was built by a man, who claimed that, when he removed loose stone, from a rock face, he found the burial chamber, of a king. Problem was, the man did not announce the find, until AFTER he built a waterfall, to hide the entrance. The man even diverted part, of a river, to feed the waterfall. No way was the waterfall connected to the chalice. The clans would be searching in the wrong place. Besides, the man never presented evidence, of his "find". He only told the curious to "Take my word, or not". Since the Heatheren Waterfall was so modern, and not referenced, in any, historical document, Tami decided that we should discount the claim. The problem was that this, still, left us with dozens of sites, to search. Entering known information, on the last, known, possessor, of the chalice, did very little to reduce the search pattern. Maybe Ireland is not so immense, in size, as America, or the Soviet Union, are, yet the Irish are clever, and make good use of the land. If an Irishman does NOT want something found, it could take centuries, of research, to find the item. When Tami and I decided to take a research break, and stroll the foot paths, we DID view some sort of "beast", in a nearby waterway. While I, too, wanted to know WHAT the creature was, I had to remind Tami "Remember. We are here to locate certain materials, and to prevent the overthrow, of Irelands government. We are NOT here to study "wild life". All Tami would say was "Party-pooper". Tami was correct, about one thing, though. It would seem that the owner, of Heatheren Waterfall denied search permision, even on a warrant, which stated "contraband goods". No-doubt, this is why one of the clans men decided to ignore both private property, and other, laws. Thankfully, the police had experience, with such matters, and had stationed a unit, nearby, to observe potential trespassers actions. The officers recorded both the trespass, and the clans men, walking behind the waterfall, only to emerge, a momewnt later, saying "There is NO chamber behind that waterfall. It is all a (profanity) trick". When the lights went on, just as an officer would tell the trespasser "And YOU fell for it. Now, hands behind your head." When the trespasser asked "What for?" The officer put on a smile, as he said "Didn't you know? Trespassing is against the law". When the trespasser indicated the property owner, saying "Arrest him, as well. For Fraud. Making people believe there is a chamber, and a corpse, behind that waterfall." The officers would smile as they said "Private property. They can do what they want". Aboard G.S.2, Tami would sigh, as she said "Thats ONE out of the way." When I would ask "How MANY to go?" While Irelands museums are quite attractive, even welcoming, containing venues, including food, to rival other nations, what most clans never knew, since their members lived in rural communities, was the pride Ireland takes, in safe-guarding its national treasures. Whether this practice is rooted in the Viking raids, of Christian mythology, or whether it is due to Christian raids, where goods were "acquired" "In the name of God", and "To support the Holy church"" History, and legend, are vague as to the REASON why Ireland is so protective, of its possessions. From the ancient accounts, which Tami and I were provided access to, it would seem that, whether a museum were modern, made of glass, and steel, or whether the museum looked "acient", circa 1700, or earlier, the clans thought all such museums would be "easy pickings", for the looters. Boy! Were the clans in, for a surprise when, once they forced open the doors, of each building, then stepped inside, only to have automatic, security gates close off all avenues, of escape, tighter than an American, federal, penetentiary. On-board G.S.2, as the trespassers names came across our computers, Tami removed each name, from the list, of those in contention for the artifacts. One, of the few, "mystical" pieces, which no one bothered to secure, was the statue, of an Irish saint. Some man, from before the time of Christ. Legend says that the man, on which the staue was based, had started out as a warrior. The man had defended local villagers so well, that enemy soldiers began fleeing, upon seeing the man. Oddly enough, however, while the man lived, asking only friendship, and respect, his least desire was for people to fear him. Once raiding parties ceased to risk coming to the area, the soldier "repented" his violent ways, becoming a monk. Legend says that, during the mans lifetime, and even after his death, the village was left alone, since locals spread rumors, that the savior continued to patrol the lands, and watching over the people. As for the twenty foot tall statue, legend says this is the mans grave marker. Originally weighing in, at 50 tons, as a solid block, of marble, legend says that a carver removed just over 10 tons, to create the mans likeness. What this would mean, for modern theives, was that they would need a truck,capable of carrying nearly 40 tons, and long enough for a twety foot tall statue. This is not including the diesel crane, which would be needed, to lift the statue. Add in the man-power, neeeded, as well as time TIME, for removal, and law enforcement would be on-hand, LONG before the statue was, even, cut loose. All the same, villagers believe that, as long as the statue stands, the village is protected. While Tami and I were attempting to locate the chalice, another group, of fools, got themselves buried inside the ruins of a 6th century castle. It would seem that the "race", to become Irelands next king, was outweighing common sense. When I asked Tami "Any idea what they were looking for?" Tami would remind me about the jeweled scepter, saying "I was just reviewing a legend, which states that spies, from another clan, saw th scepter entering the castlee, maybe around 1625, yet they never saw the scepter leave." When I would correct her, saying "They viewed the scepter entering the castle, via the front door, yet they never viewed the scepter exit, via the front door." Tami would say "Get technical". When I asked "Modern day casualties?" Tami would say "That will take a few days. No heavy equipment, in that arrea, for rescue operations." When I would ask "Secret escape passages?" Tami would call up the castles design, then say "Nothing on record". I would add "Ofcourse not. No sense building an escape route, only to publicize its existance. By the way, any informatioon on just how FAR such tunnels might extend?" Tami would say "Best guess. Miles." I would add "No doubt, protected by secret doors, landscaping, or other features". Tami would add "I just hope they are alive, when rescued." When the news got out, that a group was trapped, under the rubble, the other "contenders", for the objects, seemed to decide that no one would leave a priceless artifact under such an un-stable structure. As a result, the other "contenders" set thier sights on more solid structures. One place Tami and I wished we COULD have told the police about, in advance, was a church, dedicated to one of the patron saints, of Ireland. The problem was that the legend spoke only of a "holy place", which was "overseen" by someone neither Tami, nor I, ever heard of. By the time we realized that the target was a church, explosives had blasted a hole, in the floor, and a metal "mit", and a sword, were stolen from the church. The news next reported that someone had stolen a "ball" (orb), from something called the "Cave of the Ancestors". Tami wondered who would get the first "punch". The group, with the orb, or the group, with the mit, and sword. I figured that the orb would be first, since balls can be thrown, at enemies, while swords must be wielded. When Tami re-checked Irish lore, however, she found that the ancients were most articulate, about WHO would yield power/control, in Ireland. While the sword, and the orb, were "signs", of power, it would be only when JOINED, with the scepter, and the chalice, that a true king could be crowned. Without BOTH the scepter, and the chalice, the rest was just "costume jewelry". The problem was that the locations, of each, of these objects, were wrapped in riddles, woven into codes, which were baffling, even to modern super-computers. The legend, leading to each object, was a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, curled up in a conundrum. As a result, "best guess" was all anyone, including the Irish, could make. The question, which Tami brought, to the discussion, was "Who would WANT to rule a nation?" As Tami said "Nowadays, royalty spend their days attending social functions, when not conferrring with heads of state (Those who, really, run countries). Even the British crown is answerable. The days, of the kings will, being un-challengeed law, of the land, were long gone. Ofcourse, ther ARE the legends, of kings having as many women as they wanted, for their pleasure. While this had, certainly been possible, in ages past, the majority, of modern royalty, chose a single partner, for life. Much, of this information, Tami and I had verified, by speaking with long dead rulers. While Tami and I were attempting to decide WHICH, of the deceased, to contact, for more information, including WHO might know where the chalice, and the scepter, were located, Tami would suggest "Since we do not know when the horsemen will ride, why dont we try the tax-man. Ian McInnes. The man who roams that castle, located by the loche?" Because I had heard the legends that, if the spirits did not take to the living, the spirit would toss the living over the castles walls, I would be wary of contacting old Ian. This is why I asked Tami "Do you want to go, first. You ARE the "people person"." When Tami would say "Chicken", I made no argument. When Tami and I approached Ian McInnes castle, even I agreed the castle appearred both "ancient", and "foreboding". It would take us a couple of hours, of stroolling the castle, mentioning how we would like to discuss if the spirit knew of the chalice, and scepter, before we got any results. Talk about a victim, of bad publicity. Ian McInnes was nothing like the "monster", which legend portrays. In fact, towards Tami and I, Ian McInnes was most congenial. While Ian would admit "Yes, I am aware, of the chalice, which you seek", when Tami would ask "What can you tell us, about the chalice?" Ian would say "Not very much, except that the legends, of its beauty, do not do it justice" When Tami asked "What about the kings test, of his subjects loyalty?" Ian would tell us "Tis true. However, the man was beloved, NOT feared, by his people. Only his enemies feared the king." When Tami asked "After the kings death, what became of the chalice?" Ian would look at my partner, in a questioing way, as he asked "Why is it you want to know? Ye be not Irish. Only the Irish may rule these lands". Tami would say "Dublin would appreciate having the chalice on display, where ALL, of Irish blood, may gaze upon its beauty." What Tami had forgotten was what we had found, on-line. The fact that, during Irelands history, there were times when Dublin had been wrenched, from Irish hands, and used, as a headquaters, by invading forces. And, yes, there were times, when clans disputted just who owned the lands, upon which Dublin rests. Still, Ian McInnes seemed thankful, when Tami promised "We have no desire, to rule Ireland, or to remove the chalice, from Ireland." When Ian would ask "Are you Christian, or Protestant?" Ian seemed shocked when Tami and I said "Neither" When Ian, in his irish accent, would ask something like "Do you serve Lucifer, then?" Tami would smile, as she said "We are spiritual, just not religious." (No WAY could we, properly, explain that, at times, our work HAD been CONTRACTED, either by Luicifer, or by the Chairman. To complicated to go into. Best to assure people that we were not "devil worshippers".) When Ian showed us a Bible, and asked "Would you read a verse, then?" Tami took the book, from the spirit, opened it, without hesitation, and said "Oh!". When Ian asked "What be the problem?" Tami would look at me, asking "Do you read Gaelic?" I would laugh as I said "Are you kidding. I can, barely, manage English." Tami would return the book, to Ian, saying "With regrets. We never learned to read Gaelic." When Ian would ask How can ye be from Ireland, and NOT read the Gaelic?" This is when I would say "Sir, we are NOT from Ireland. Our home is America. We only know English. The main language, of America." When Ian would ask "America? Now, just WHERE might this America be located?" Oh, boy! Another spirit, from pre-colonial days. If Tami and I had to explain the thirteen colonies, and America, a few more times, we should receive Ph.d's, for knowing America's past. Thankfully, by this time, Tami had the "short-form", or 10-40 EZ form, down, pat, telling Ian "Centuries, after your time, a land will be charted, across the ocean. Some Irish persons will settle, there, bringing Irish music, art, food, and so on, to this new land" When Ian would puff himself up, saying "No doubt, ruled by proper, Irish, gentry". Tami would say "Not exactly". (Since my partner did not want to engage in politics, by saying how much America had profitted, from Germany, she decided to re-focus on the matter at hand). When Ian asked "What do you mean?" Tami would re-direct the questions to the mans knowledge, of the chalice. If Ian knew the chalice existed, he might know where it was located. The problem was, Ian McInnes gave us a LIST, of names, starting with those, who risked lives, by removing the chalice, from its river-front home. If Ian were correct, the thief had been killed, by another theif, then another. ALL who wanted to possess the "magic" of the chalice. After 500, or so, years, the chalice came into the hands, of the church. Here it remained, inside the church, for atleast two centuries, before being stolen, again. Since the thieves feared dying, if they left the chalice in the open, they buried it. When Tami asked "Great! Can you show us where?" Ian would say "It is, no-longer there. Land-slides, from heavy rains, washed the soil, and the chalice, away." While, under normal conditions, Tami would let both the living, and the dead, proceed, at their own pace, with re-telling history, both she and I KNEW there were "hunters", out there. People who were willing to blow up churches, just to gain possession of the chalice. This is why Tami asked Ian "WHERE is the chalice, in OUR time?" Ian would say "Last I know, the chalice was a wedding present, used, along with a maiden, to secure peace, between warring clans. It rests deep beneath the foundations, of Glenbrook Tower Castle." Once Tami informed Dublin, it seems that the government KNEW about Glenbrook Tower, and its conditions. This is why divers were sent in, to search the sunken foundation. While the divers expected to find debris, what they did NOT expect to find was dynamite, grenades, and what looked like nitro. Someone, past or present, had been VERY intent, on booby-trapping Glenbrook Tower. Thankfully, the dynamite was from an age, prior to plastic sheething. Result, since the blasting powder had been wrapped, in simple paper, it was harmless. The greanades were old, and rusted. Still, bomb disposal would remove both the grenades, and the nitro, just to be safe. While a copper chest would be brought to the surface, after centuries, of being submerged, the chest stank, even as it was opened, to find a pile, of rotting rags, within. While the Irish used simple gas masks, to filter the stink, Tami and I used our breathers. After the bomb squad checked, for explosives (both ancient and modern), the rags were lain aside. Maybe under 15 layers, of rotting rags, we found the chalice. It was, indeed, "magically" beautiful. The chalice was, then packed, in another crate, to be airlifted, to Dublin. Next stop: the scepter. If Ian McInnes were correct, over 500 men had "entered the after-life", on purpose, slicing their own throats, after having taken a vow, to protect the scepter, for all eternity. To these men, their actions had NOT been suicide. They were becoming the "Noble Guardians", of the scepter. Ian had suggested that we recover the chalice, and consider the action a victory. Well, finding the chalice HAD been our original directive, but only until Dublin learned that we were not the only ones researching Irish history. Now, there were atleast two clans, which wanted the scepter. Rumor had it that the clans were in a "pitched battle", near some village, named Maire Fare (?) Something about fairies living nearby, and caves, full of pixey dust. The clans, however, seemed to be "at war" over (or with), another ruined castle. (I wont insult the castles name, trying to pronounce it, here). By the time G.S.2 arrived, Tami and I had received reports, of small, and large, arms fire, being used on the castle. It was not until we arrived, though, and Tami cast a look, at the castles defenders, even as the attackers would say "Good, sound, stock, they are. Stand up to everything we throw at them". When Tami showed me what she saw, even I realized what the score was. Trying to convicnce the clans? That would be another story. While the men, waging the battle, wanted to throw us out, of the camp, while they waged war, on the ancient relic, Tami would struggle, free, of her guard, then ask the leaders "Why are you wasting ammo? Dont you understand. The defenders are dead." When a Lieutenant would ask "Whats that you say, lassie?" Tami would face the leaders, saying "Tell them!" When the clan leaders looked un-easy, and the lieutenant would ask Tami "Tell us what?" I would inform the soldiers "The men, guarding the castle, took an eternal oath, maybe 1,500 years ago. They ended their mortal lives, to become the IM-mortal guardians, of the scepter." When the soldiers asked the clan leaders "This be true? We be fighting ghosts?" The clans leaders would say "I dont care if they are Russians. I want that scepter!" Tami would suggest "If you want the scepter, let ME go in." When the Irish, almost to a man, said "Oh, no, lassie. Maidens dont make war. Only warriors draw blood." This is when I would suggest "Why not let both of us go in. IF the scepter is there, maybe WE can bring it out." When a soldier would inform me "You will need a uniform", I would decline, saying "If they see me wearing your colors, I wont make it near the place. We will go as we are. (I only hoped I was correct). After we had the clans permission, to proceed, I aided Tami into her "teenage boy" costume, then we proceeded, to the castle. During our approach, both of us knew we had weapons trained on us. Ghost weapoons, that is. Gaining entry, to the castle, turned out to be the "easy part". Gaining an audience, with the head spirit. That was another. While the humans stood by, listening, in dis-belief, as Tami and I conversed with men, who had perished, centuries before Christ was born. Men who, proudly, served, for all eternity. Thankfully, Tami and I had worn our combat vests. This, since spirits required no food, or water, while we humans needed eating periods. Two days, into the cease-fire, and the leader, of the spirits, agreed to see us. After talk, of Irelands beautiful history, and noble soldiers, fair maidens, and so on, Tami, carefully, brought the discussion to the subject at hand. The scepter. When the head spirit would promise "It is in safe hands, for all eternity", Tami was clever, though. Tami spoke of tales, of how the scepter was said to be made of gold. Stories, of diamonds, rubies, and emeralds. All of which sparkled, in the daylight. Very cleverly, Tami maneuvered the head spirit into asking "Would you like to see the real thing?" When Tami would say "WE would LOVE to see it" This is when the spirit lead us, deep, into the depths, of the castle. (Boy! How often fairy tales got the story all wrong. Riches were, never, kept in towers. Security was much easier, deep, underground) When lead into the "Chapel Room", Tami and I noticed that, while the scepter did not, exactly, "dazzle", in its appearance, the energy, of the device, seemed to fill the room. When Tami and I brought out sensors, we wer amazed at how fast the meters went "off the scales". No wonder mythology said this thing could be used, as a weapon. It contained an energy source, un-like anything we had, ever, encountered. When Tami asked the spirrit "You say the castle was devoid of life, before you arrived?" When the spirit would say "Tis true, lassie. The owners were gone, for a spell, before we moved in." When Tami asked "Did villagers mention any reason, for this place being abandoned?" The spirit would say "That was the odd thing. Not a soul, Christian or Protestant, would speak of the matter". Tami and I suspected the reason. As Tami and I inspected the castle, the only readings, which made sense, were the magnetics. This caslte was, either built on a magnetic outcrop, OR, it was built, of magnetic, ore. The scepter was either focusing this energy, or generating it. When Tami had asked, to hold the scepter, the spirits saw no harm, in allowing a "mere woman" to handle the shaft. While Tami found what turned out to be the "firing button", causing a minor Earthquake, when the beam smashed into a far wall section, the re-coil, knoocked my partner, flat, on the ground. When she feined ignorance, the spirit would say "Lassie, be more careful, when you touch things" When Tami would ask "What was that?" The spirit would say "Lassie, you called forth the energy, of the Lord." When Tami would ask "Where is the safety catch?" The spirit would say "Never you bother yourself, with such matters. Perhaps, it would be more to your liking, if we visited the kitchens, or the mending rooms. These are places where a wee lassie would be more "at home". While Tami accepted the gender insults, knowing that these men knew NOTHING, of womens rights, she reminded herself "I am on a case. This is NO time, for womens lib." Before the scepter was replaced, I took hold of it, and realized this was no ordinary shaft. The scepter had internal workings, for sure. The people, who built it, MUST have had atleast twenty-first, or even twenty-third, century technology. Since it would be impossible, to remove the scepter, from these devoted spirits, Tami and I fell back, to our next plan. Filming details, of everything from battlements, to wall thicknesses, corridors, and so on. After Tami and I departed the castle, and showed the clans our footage, atleast one, of the clans men gave up the chase, saying "I dont hink even field guns, or tanks, could penetrate that place." The other clans men would suggest "What if we dropped a nuke, on that place?" Tami would look, at the man, as if he were crazy. When Tami would ask "What good would THAT do?" The clansmen would say "It would get the soldiers out of the way." I would remind the clansmen "Sir, what good is a nuke, against people, who have been dead, for 2,000 years?" When the clansmen would say "Okay, got any better ideas?" Tami would emphasize "You CANT win a battle, when your enemy cannot die, again." Somehow, it didn't SOUND right, but it was right. When the clans men would say "I shall RULE this land, as my ancestors, once, did. Those hypocrites, in Dublin. I will show them the MEANING of POWER!" This is when Tami and I realized that we were talking to a mentally un-stable person. After all, what sane person would "waste" a nuke, on ghosts? When Tami and I bowed out, of the command tent, Tami would speak to an oncoming server, who would agree that "Yes, if my lord does not take his tonic, before rest, he has terrible dreams." When Tami would ask "What would happen if you gave your lord MORE than the usual dose?" The server would say "Oh, no, my lady. To do so would send his lordship into a very LONG sleep." When Tami would ask "Like a coma?" The server would say "My lord might not awaken, for months, or even years." This is when Tami had a felonious idea. In America, such an idea would bring her ten, to twenty, years, in prison. Here, in Ireland? That night, once the server gave the clansmen his tonic, and Tami and I put on our Black Ops gear, then we snuck to the mans quarters. Tami then injected the man with a highly concentrated, timed released, dose, of his tonic. (The clansmen would not be issuing orders, for ten, maybe fifteen, years.) Shortly after the clansmen was removed, by ambulance, from the camp, his troops dis-banded, broke camp, and returned to their homes. While Tami had hoped that our report, on the "Guardian Spirits" would have ended the case, Dublin "dropped" another task upon us. "Before you depart our beautiful country, we ask that you either verify, or deny, that the orb is an interstellar map, of another star system." When Tami and I would ask "HOW would we do that?" Dublin would say "Legend says that, if you rub the orb, on tracing paper, it will leave an impression, of the place where the first Irishmen came from." When I would ask "Where does the sword fit into this?" Dublin would say "According the legend, there is NO connection. We want you to verify if the orb is a star map". When Tami would ask "Okay. WHERE do we find the orb?" Both Tami and I were annoyed, when Dublin would suggest "Ask your ghost friends". When Tami cointacted Mr. Brown, our boss would say "Nothing so exciting going on, here. See what you can find out, and report in". Swell! Now, we were not only "ghost buster", but "relic hunters", as well?" What HAD we gotten ourselves into? If the wide variety, of legends, surrounding the orb, were true, the device was anything, from a transmitter, to a flash grenade, to a "re-usable" (?), nuclear, device. Maybe even a portal, either to another planet, or another dimension. It ALL depended upon which legends one choose to believe. Sure, legends claimed the device was pure gold, while other legends claimed the device was copper. Other legends claimed the orb was titanium, while other groups insisted that the orb was not of Earth, at all. In summary, Tami and I were looking for a ball. It COULD be pocket-sized, or it COULD be a basketball. It COULD be made of just about any metal, on Earth, and it COULD be inscribed, with a star pattern. Not surrisingly, when Tami performed a search, first with keywords "Irish orbs", then adding the word "ancient", there remained MILLIONS of references. That, and THOUSANDS of photo's. More than two weeks, of research, later, and it was POSSIBLE that we had "nailed down" the POSSIBLE location, and name, of the orb, in questtion. If the internet was correct, the orb had acquired the name "Shenandoah". Most of the legend, however, told that this clan had FOUND the orb, NOT created it. The problem was that there were no shortages, of Shenandoah clans, in Ireland. When Tami and I went to check in, with Ian McInnes, he was either "gone", or "out too lunch". As for the Eternal Guardians, ALL that their leader would say was "Look to the castle, where the mist moves like ghosts". When Tami searched this information, she found only two matches. One, which had a green mist, and another, which had a blue mist. Tami and I were just about to scratch our heads, in disgust, when a man, of late 30's, to early 40's years of age, appearrred, on-board G.S.2. When the man said "Children. Do not be discouraged. Your journey has, simply, taken a new direction." While Tami and I understood that we were talking to a spirit, Tami, still, asked the man "WILL you giude us to Castle Shenandoah?" The spirit would say "Aye, lassie, I can do that, for sure". No-sooner had Tami said "Great!" and was about to ask "What are the coordinates?" when the spirit, of Angus Shenandoah, would say "Just follow the sound of me pipes. I will lead THEE right to me". While Angus Shenandoah dissolved, into thin air, his music came through, loud and clear. Since none, of the four of us, on-board G.S.2, was a "fan" of Irish bag pipes, our pilots made maximum speed, to the castle. Still, we spent a full HOUR, being serenaded, with pipe music. It was only once G.S.2 was on the ground, that the sound, of the pipes vanished, and Angus Shenandoah met us at the castles main entry. When the spirit saw us looking at his glowing form, Angus would ask "Do you not like my ghostly appearance?" When Tami would ask "Why?" Angus would say "Usually, tourists enjoy glowing ghosts. Livens up the place, you might say." Once inside the castle, Angus would abandon his glow, then say "Follow me. The library is where we will find what you seek." While Tami and I had wished it would be the orb, itself, that would have been far too easy. No, Angus wanted US to find the orb, ourselves. To aid our research, though, Angus DID bring us a stack, of five volumes, saying "Children, the answers you seek are within. Enjoy your reading." When Tami would mention "If you KNOW which books the answers lie in, why not just show us the information?" Angus would bow, as he would say "Pardon, lassie. I thought you KNEW the rules, of the spirit world. In this case, the rule where mortals must EARN knowledge. Spirits may guide you, but we are prohibited, from interfering." Yes, Tami and I knew this rule, from our previous cases. It was just an annoyance, having to re-learn what the ancients, already, knew. Sometimes, I wish we could take "short cuts", however, "social promotion" had lead to far to many minors graduating high school, with only a second grade reading, and writing, level. No, the rule was correct. Tami and I needed to LEARN. This was the only way to solve this case. What would prove baffling was how different authors, before the time of Christ, were able to, so vividly, describe spacecraft, such as Battlestar Galactica, the Jupiter 2, and other space craft, from modern, Hollywood science fiction. This, in a time when, if a person wanted to listen to music, they travelled either to concerts, or restaurants. Eveen vacuum tube type radio, remained THOUSANDS of years into the future. Despite these facts, atleast one volume, the author described the lay-out, of a battlestar. Starting at the bridge, and passing the fighter bays, on the way to the engine rooom. (Was this just wild imagination?) When Tami found drawing-after-drawing, of the "magical" orb, she photographed as many, of these as our cameras could store. With these digital images, in hand, Tami and I returned to G.S.2, where Angus Shenandoah watched, spell-bound, as Tami used the camera photos to produce a three-dimensional model, of the orb. When Angus first looked, at the blurry projection, he asked "Is that the best your "machnies" can do? If so, I know of painters, who can do better, even while hung over, with drink" Tami would say "Patience, Angus. Let the computer do its job" Tami and I, then, enjoyed some rations, while Angus seemed bored, while the computer did its work. When the computer beeped, and Angus, startled, by the sound, asked "Whats that?" Tami would say "Relax! For a ghost, you sure are jumpy." Once the rendering was completed, the sphere rotated 360 degrees, while showing the orb, as clearly as if it were right in front of us. When Angus would say "I, still, do not see anything", I would suggest, to Tami "Lets lay it out, flat". Soon after this, the computer made more sound, then compared the orbs decorations, to a map, of the universe (The parts we KNEW of, anyway). If the drawings wer accurate, the orb WAS a map, of the night sky, above a planet, maybe 75 million light years from Earth. To MY surprise, it was Angus own spirit which looked at the "map", and, in Gaelic, cursed the "map". When the spirit returned to English, saying "Lad, Lassie. Your machine dont know nothin. The Shenandoah clan been in Ireland, since recorded history. You can check that with our parrish priest." When Tami would ask "With your permission, sir?" Angus would say "You have it. If I were alive, I would write it out, for you" When I would ask "Angus, where do YOU think these drawings came from?" Angus would grumble "Probably the bottom of a mug of ale." Tami and I would agree, even as we added additional sources of information. Then, ofcourse, came the HARD part. FINDING the TRUE orb, and reading its TRUE surface. When Tami and I would ask Angus for suggestions, the Irish man would stand, straight, and tall, saying "Aye, lassie. I may know a few, who may know what you seek" For some reason, while Angus was off, searching for clues, within the spirit world, Tami and her regular type, of investigation, happened upon a series, of e-mails, ALL of which claimed "I have the information, of which you seek. The question is: How MUCH is the information WORTH, to you?" While some, of the e-mails contained photo's, of orbs, others were of pure text content. ALL claimed to have information, which was for sale. Tami just catalogued them, ALL, under the title "fortune hunters". Tami would take NO chances, unless Angus Shenandoah made no progress, with Irelands spirits. The next day, Tami and I were surprised when Angus showed up, with a teenage girl, named Lorn. Turns out, the young woman was a descendant, of Angus, and she had died, nearly 1,000 years ago, of a disease which, in the modern world, is , totally, preventable. When Angus whispered, like a father "Proceed", Lorn would, in a heavily Irish accent, inform us "I am aware of the orb, which you seek, however, like my ancester, here, I do not believe that the orb is a star map." When Tami would ask "How do you know this?" Lorn would say "My father, the king, had his astrologers study the night sky, for these stars. When the men could not find these stars, in our sky, my father asked for suggestions" When Tami would ask "What happened?" Lorn would say "When no adult, not even the village witch, could tell my father WHAT the orb meant, my father gave it to me, as a toy." When Tami would ask "What did you do, with it?" Lorn gave us a weak smile, as she said "I was so captivated, by the markings, that I used clay tablets, to make a flat copy. I thought it might be a song." When I would ask "What happened, when you tried to play it?" Lorn would say "Worst music I, ever, played. It did not sound like opera, jazz, or any other music. It was bizzarre. Eventually, my father asked me to stop wasting my time, and concentrate on my lessons." When I saw the look, on Tamis face, I was like "What are you thinking?" Tami would suggest "What if it was neither a star map, nor music. What if it was a message." Angus would be the first to say "Reaching, a bit, aren't you, lassie?" When Ttami looked at the man, saying "Im open to suggestions." This left Angus to ponder the orb, as well. When Tami asked Lorn "Do you remember the last place you saw the orb?" Lorn would say "Yes, my lady. When I died, my parents placed my favorite toys on display. Since I spent so much time, with the orb, it was placed into the display case, on a small pedestal." When Tami would ask "Any chance it remains?" Lorn would say "Most un-fortunately. One of fathers great-grand-children pawned the lands, to pay off his gambling debts. Clan Shenandoah has not owned the land, in centuries." When Tami would ask ""Any clue who owns the land, in the modern day?" Lorn would say "Aye. Clan McFinnish owns the land. I present this caution to you. McFinnish, and Shenandoah, have been at odds, for almost 900 years." When Tami would ask "Over land, or a woman?" Lorn would say "A young, Shenandoah, lassie, who was promised, to a McFinnish lad, as a peace offering" Tami would say "Let me guess. An insult was involved" Lorn would say "Even worse. The lassie not only declined to marry the lad, but she cut herself off, from Shenandoah, HOPING that any peril would befall herself, and not the clan" Tami would say "So, the McFinnish, feeling scorned, attacked Shenandoah lands, and ripped apart your castle?" Lorn would say "Aye". When Tami would ask "What became of the display?" Lorn would say "To my knowledge, the display rests near the crypts, and, well under McFinnish lands" When Tami would say "No problem. We just ask McFinnish for a look around." Lorn looked at Angus, would say "Wrong. If it is known, that you have contact, with Shenandoah, McFinnish would shoot you, just for our association." When Tami would ask "Any bettter ideas?" Everyone went into "think" mode. Later, when Lorn suggested "Why didn't we think of it, before?" then Lorn looked at Angus, saying "We are not human. We are spirit. We can walk right through walls." Angus seemed to like the idea, but only until Tamii would remind the spirits "No good". When Lorn asked "Pray, enlighten us", Tami would say "While the two of you are spirit energy, and can travel, through matter, with ease, the orb is three dimensional. You could, never, take it through a wall". Angus would look at Lorn, saying "Sorry, lassie. The lassie is right. We may not have bodies, but the orb does". This is when Tami would say "On the other hand, you COULD verify if the orb is present, at all." When Angus looked at my partner, Tami would say "It would be a great help, if the two of you slipped in, found the orb, and reported back its position, and condition." When Lorn would ask "What if we are captured. It would mean our lives" This is when Angus would place a fatherly arm, around Lorn's shoulders, softly saying "Lassie, we are, already, dead, remember? What can they do, to us?" When Lorn considered this, she told Tami "Your request will be honored. We will be your eyes, inside the chambers." After the spirits departed, on their task, I told Tami "Clever. If they find the orb, then we can proceed. If they dont find it, then we dont waste the effort". When Lorn, and Angus, returned, with stories, of "great, crunching" jaws, and iron snakes, Tami asked Angus to draw the lay out for us. When he did so, Tami and I realized that, while the defenses were ancient, the clan McFinnish was determined to protect the orb. While Tami did her best, upon approaching the modern clan members, to gain diplomatic access, to the orb, it would seem that I was to be a "sacrificial lamb". This, when a McFinnish daughter saw me, and began asking my own ancestry. When I informed the young woman that I was over 90% German, I was surprised when the young woman would say "I can work with that." When Tami asked the young woman "I thought that TRUE Irish only married TRUE Irish" The young woman concerned me when she spoke of "winning a man over, and "converting" the man, by giving him a LARGE family. **I** would be the one, to remind the young woman "My partner and I are only in Ireland, until the orb is verified. After that, we return to the United States" When the young woman gave me THAT look, asking "IS there NO way, I can convince YOU to stay on?" I would have to extend my apoligies, saying "I have other duties" Tami would chime in with "He's right. We have other jobs, and duties, just as you do." When the young woman would say "Very well. A girl can only try", then, while walking away, saying "Had to try" Tami would joke "I wonder if it would have been worth it? Spend the night, with a local, grab the orb..." and I would add "... and be executed, either for tricking the lassie, or worse. What if she turned out pregnant? HOW would we explain THAT, to Mr. Brown?" I have to hand it to the girl, though. She was persistent, and creative. The young woman even sent me e-mails, saying she was willing to "swap the orb", IF I agreed to stay on, atleast until she was confirmed pregnant. Well, while I could think of millions, of other men, who would LEAP at such an offer, I, for one, had no intention, of leaving fatherless children in places, where assignments took my partner and I. Too my surrprise, though, the young woman, eventually, brought forth the orb, saying "I am sure that my father would not mind. You have proven your honor." After we scanned the actual orb, into the computers, and I provided the young woman with a "thank you", for bringing the orb, Tami smiled as she said "Too bad you didn't take advantage, while she was on the plane." (I KNEW what Mr. Brown would think of that!) While the girl returned to her clan, Tami and I studied the orb. Even though we were annoyed, when the chemical analysis read "Unknown", in comparison to every sample, known to Earth. As for the alleged "star map", it was only off, by about 20 million light years. In flattened form, the map showed a star system, 95 miillion light years, from Earth. Why would anyone bother creating a map, of a system, which humans could not hope to reach, for nearly 100 million years? When Tami and I tried "audio synthesis", I was glad Tami suggested "headphones". This because, even at low volume, the "sound" was an assault on our ears. It was not until Tami ran the carvings through our linguistic programs, that we found what Dublin sought. A message, writtten in computer code. The translation, roughly, said: "Since the time is at hand, for you to read this message, it is, first, importatnt, for you to understand. Home world is DEAD. This is why we came to (the Irish name for earth). We came here, not to visit, but to begin new lives. To prevent the enticement, to return to a dead world, we have sent our ships away, following our debarking. We have selected this planet, since it is green and fertile. We HOPE our children can learn to live in peace. Since this orb was fashioned, on home world, not on (Earth), its components will seem "alien" to you. No matter. We have brought you here, to preserve our race." When Tami would say "Sounds like the Irish version, of the Holy Bible, doesn't it?" I would agree. "Garden of Eden. Be Fruitful, and multiply, and so on." Tami would ask "I wonder why race, after race, chose Earth, as their destination? What makes Earth so special?" I would suggest "Remember. In those days, the planet was peaceful, and filled with potential." When Tami would say "Yeah. Look at what WE made, of it." I would remind her "Even with all of their science, they could not predict the future." Tami would add "This leaves only one question. WHAT do we tell Dublin? The Irish are aliens? Earth was an "outpost? WHO would believe such a story?" I would caution my partner "The Irish are no more ""alien", to Earth, than the rest of us. Remember what the Gargoyles told us. Humans came to Earth, to do genetic, and agricultural, research." Tami would add "I remember. The Christian version, of history, was created AFTER many, dangerous, mistakes were made. Better to let people think that mankind "blinked" into existance. This way, the people wont ask "WHERE DID we, ALL, come from?" And I would add "Remember. The message says that home world is DEAD. There is nothing for the Irish to return for. After so very long, the planet might not even exist." When we contacted the Brown Agency, for directions/instructions, we noticed that, when the reply came, it was co-authored by Mr. Brown, Mr. Blue, and Mr. Black. The reply came via "overnight express", and the enclosed ball was made of copper. The accompanying note said "Dont be surprised, by contents, of message. We made it as real as possible." When we scanned the ball, we found that very little was changed. Just fictionalized. When Tami and I brought the Brown Agency orb before Dublin's heads of state, and, even AFTER these people read the message, they, still, tried to plot the star pattern. When the leader brought Miss McFinnish before Tami and I, while the leader would say "Ireland owes you much gratitude. You are welcome, on our shores, any time." As Tami and I extended our thanks, the leader would look at me, and mention "I KNOW you are German, but" patting the young womans hand, the leader would add "I do wonder how a blend, of Irish, and German, blood would turn out" Tami would be quick as she said "We need to be going. Work goes on, elsewhere." The Irish would wave to us, as we boarded G.S.2. Once we were airborne, and out of sight, the young woman would ask the leader "DO you think a combination, of Irish, and German, blood, would be a bad thing?" The leader would say "There are radicals, everywhere. The Germans, and Americans, are no different from us. They work, play, and raise families. Only our flags really matter. Besides, even if a match was "good", the children would, never, be allowed to ascend to power" On-board G.S.2, Tami would tease me, asking "What would it be like, to have MORE of you around?" I would say "Not funny. You saw how I was, as a child. I have no intention of putting ANY woman through that." As for myself, my greatest hope is that I did not break the Irish girls heart. After all, this WAS just another assignment. I had no intention of leaving "damage", at any location. It was when Tami submitted our final, case, notes, to the Brown Agency, that the response was a message, from Lysia. "I am calling you, from off-campus. I dont want anyone to think this is serious. I THINK, however, that there is another problem, at hand. One which the two of you are, uniquely, skilled in." When Tami and I reviewed Lysia's message, we found the Brown Agency approval attached. After re-fuelling, and re-supply, we were headed BACK, into the "heart" of America.