Their bones on table spread?
Like wine that flows in skins made new
The spirit pours out fresh
Can hymns of love bring forth the dead
And give them hearts of flesh?
O will you learn from words of faith
That sing in psalms from heaven
To valley floors where terrors lurk
In circles numbering seven?
The haunting words sent a cold shiver all across Billy’s skin. He remembered the song. It had the same effect on him the last time he heard it.
Patrick waited through a soul-searching pause, then rose to his feet. “Apparently the prisoners you’ll be looking for are helpless and in great need. I get the impression that they will be in a weakened state and desperate, while the allies of the New Table will be in some sort of impenetrable confines that only Excalibur can destroy. Otherwise, the knights would have released them long ago since they hold sway over that domain. They need the Once and Future King and Excalibur to set their evil company free.”
Patrick gazed at the kneeling bench and cross next to the cot. “Even the greatest king of all time turned down an earthly crown to rescue a host of captives.” He leaned over and grasped Billy’s shoulder, his deeply set eyes drilling a laser stare. “Everything else pales when compared to securing freedom through courage and personal sacrifice. From what I have heard, you risked your life to set prisoners free from a candlestone.”
Billy dropped his gaze. “Well . . . yeah . . . I guess so.”
Patrick straightened his body and stepped back. “So this mission is similar, except that it is on a larger scale and more dangerous.” He curled his finger, beckoning for Billy to follow. “And now I want to show you something that will astound you.” He walked toward the north side of the room where a thick green drape veiled the entire wall. Reaching behind the veil, he pulled down on a rope, drawing the curtains apart. A rectangular window appeared, framed by beams of varnished hardwood. The window seemed wide open, no glass, no screens, just a bare hole that led to a dark forest, a tropical jungle of massive trees and dense, fern-like undergrowth.
Billy couldn’t remember seeing any landscape so lush when he arrived at the castle, only bright green fields of perfectly manicured grass stretching out over countless acres. A few majestic oaks had dotted the expansive estate, but nothing like this virtual jungle now before his eyes. Had the long corridor led to a part of the mansion they couldn’t see when they drove up? Was it just a movie projection? It seemed so real, as though they could walk right into the screen and just keep on going, stepping through a maze of age-old trees and green long-leafed ferns.
“We believe this is the first circle of your journey,” Patrick explained, “the first of the seven circles. We know very little about what you will face, only the instructions that Merlin left with us, apparently written over a thousand years ago.”
Billy placed his hand on Excalibur’s scabbard, fingering the engravings in the metal. Somehow the touch brought him comfort as he gazed at the mysterious forest. Nothing seemed to move inside, yet he could tell the place was alive, as though the air was filled with voices that beckoned him to enter and discover its mysteries. “So do we just crawl through that window?” he asked.
“If only it were so simple.” Patrick placed his palm flat against the forest scene. “It’s a solid barrier, as far as we can tell.”
Billy touched the wall with his fingers. It felt cold, and a mild vibration, an electrostatic buzz of some kind, massaged his hand. “So what do Merlin’s instructions say?”
The professor angled the flashlight beam to the right of the forest scene. “Apparently, Merlin etched this message in stone, employing his usual poetic scheme of simple rhyme and meter, but I’m afraid the meaning is far from simple. Merlin decided to be more cryptic than he ever was in his diary. But what is truly astounding is that he must have foreseen the lettering and word usage that would make sense in this present age. The verbiage is hardly ancient, but Patrick’s scientists have verified that it has been there for at least a thousand years.” He stepped back and allowed the light to expand over the entire message. “Read it for yourself.”
Billy leaned forward and narrowed his eyes. The letters were small but perfectly shaped, as though chiseled by a laser stylus. He read out loud.
Young Arthur holds the window’s key
To ancient realms that bear his quest.
The circles know where lie the beasts
Who crave the light, who crave their breath.
The beasts conceal the ancient truths
That dwell behind divided tongues,
But dragons’ hearts reveal their flame
From shining light and psalms well sung.
The prison world awaits a king
To rescue souls who have no hope,
Yet evil spirits also wait
To ride the sword’s redeeming stroke.
In circle one there lies a belt,
The camera’s eye to watch your tale,
A tale as old as man’s first tears
When Adam donned the devil’s veil.
The stone recalls the tale of threats
That lie in circles deeper still.
In letters giving aid and hope
They guide the souls with steadfast will.
You cannot bear this test alone
For faith is edified in pairs,
And bearing witness two agree
Survival rests on faithful prayers.
Beware of mirrors found within
To quell your rival’s fiery darts,
For mirrors sketch our shallow shells;
They cannot fathom human hearts.
Yet mirrors can reflect the truth
And overcome the darkest night;
The perfect law resides in those
Who live by faith and not by sight.
When thinning shadows fade to black
Polaris greets the standing bear,
Then raise the sword to pierce the veil
And strike the pose of saints in prayer.
Billy rubbed his eyes and followed the flashlight beam back to the professor. “Is that why you mentioned Polaris to me this morning? Because it’s in the poem?”
The professor aimed the beam at the line about Polaris. “I knew about the poem, William, to be sure, but I used Polaris to illustrate light and guidance, which I’m sure many teachers, like Merlin, have done in the past. Here he seems to indicate your departure time. I looked up the astronomical charts for tonight, and it seems that Ursa Major will be standing completely upright at about seven o’clock. It will be quite dark by then, so all shadows will have faded to black.”
Bonnie lowered her backpack to the floor, hanging on to one strap. “I guess Merlin’s talking about me when he says, ‘faith is edified in pairs.’”
“I think that’s a fair deduction,” the professor replied, “considering that the song also refers to searching with a maid. It’s a dangerous journey, but I assume you won’t be changing your mind about accompanying William.”
Bonnie smiled and shook her head. “After what we’ve been through together? Not a chance.” She lifted the backpack a few inches. “What do you think? Should I leave this here or take it with me?”
The professor pressed a finger on his lower lip. “Because of the danger, I think you should probably be ready to fly on a second’s notice.” He turned to Sir Patrick, raising his brow. “Agreed?”
Sir Patrick stood with his arms crossed, tapping his foot on the stone floor. “All souls are laid bare in that domain. Even perceptions of the mind become visible to the eyes.”
Flashing a half-smile, Bonnie dropped the backpack. “I guess that means ‘leave it here.’”
The professor gave Sir Patrick a quizzical stare but kept silent. He then placed both hands on Billy’s shoulders. “William, as far as we know, these prisoners have been waiting for many years, and no one else is able to rescue them. That’s why I approved of your participation. Lives are at stake. But now we know about the increased danger, and I am concerned, very concerned, yet I also have confidence in Merlin. It is apparent that he has intimate knowledge of what lies ahead, and his counsel is trustworthy. In the end, of course, it’s up to you to decide.”
Billy shrugged. “I think it’s a no-brainer. A thousand-year-old prophecy painted a bull’s-eye right on my forehead, so I’d better get the job done.”
The professor withdrew his hands and held his head erect. “Very well.” He pulled out his pocket watch and glanced at it. “It seems that I will not be able to stay here and await the alignment of the bear. Walter and Miss Stalworth will arrive at seven-thirty, and I must be there to greet them.”
Sir Patrick laid his palm on the wall’s forest view. “It’s a shame, Merlin, that you won’t be able to witness what you have waited so long to see, the piercing of the veil.”
The professor dropped the watch back into his pocket, his chin tightening. “I accept my fate. It seems that I am called to another task. Perhaps when I return tonight, I will be in time to see wonders so great that neither one of us could have imagined them.” His face turned red, and his eyes glinted with tears. With a quick spin he headed toward the exit. “I’ll see myself out.” A second later, he disappeared into the narrow corridor.
Billy shifted his weight from one foot to the other. “Uh . . . bye, Prof.”
Bonnie’s wings shuddered. “Something’s really bothering him.”
Sir Patrick’s gaze fixed on the dark exit hall as the sound of the professor’s footsteps faded. With his arms crossed and his toe tapping the floor again, he seemed to be waiting for something.
Billy lowered his voice to a whisper and leaned closer to Bonnie. “I have a bad feeling about this.”
Bonnie joined the whisper. “Danger?”
“Yeah. And it’s growing fast. It’s a good thing Prof trusts this guy so much. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be so sure.”
Sir Patrick swiveled his head toward them and reached for his back pocket. “I almost forgot to give you something.” He withdrew his wallet and pulled out a plastic card. “If you’ll remember, the poem mentioned a stone that will aid you as you navigate the circles. We’ve assumed that you’ll learn exactly what that means once you’re inside, and I’ve copied the entire poem onto this card so you can reference it during your journey and possibly receive help from it right away.”
“Got it.” Billy read the poem again, slowly this time, trying to memorize as much as he could, then slid it into his back pocket. “How long till the constellation is ready?”
“It’s difficult to determine the exact moment. Polaris is likely already visible, and Ursa Major is already rotating toward an upright position. But I have no idea how upright it has to be to be considered ‘standing.’ It’s possible that everything is ready for your departure already.”
Loud clopping sounded from the entry corridor. Markus appeared at the doorway, then leaned over with his hands on his knees, breathing heavily.
Patrick ran to meet him. “Markus! What’s wrong?”
Markus held his palm against his chest. “Couldn’t . . . call on your radio. . . . Normal frequencies jammed. . . . The dark sorceress . . . has been seen.”
Patrick grabbed Markus’s arm and helped him stand. A purple vein ridged across Patrick’s temple. “Who saw her?!” he shouted. “Where?!”
Markus blinked rapidly. “Our outposts saw her with two of her knights near the tor, and now she’s coming this way.”
“Did Merlin get out safely?”
“Yes. I think he left undetected.”
Patrick pulled Markus close, but his rasping whisper carried across the room. “Don’t inform the staff. Use the stealth drill procedure, and lead the children into the tunnels yourself. When they are settled in the bunker, pull the alarm.”
Markus bowed his head. “The children are safe in my hands.”
“Go now! I will barricade this door.”
Markus nodded, turned, and ran through the dark hall.
“William!” Patrick called, waving from the doorway. “Come!”
Billy sprinted to the passage. He and Patrick heaved the massive door closed. Bonnie flew to them and helped lift a thick wooden beam into the locking brackets. It dropped into place with a secure clump.
Patrick rested his arm on the beam, trying to catch his breath. “I don’t know . . . if this will be enough to keep her out.”
Bonnie pushed on the slab of solid oak. It didn’t budge. “But how will the professor get back in?”
Patrick’s eyes darted around the room. “Markus can monitor the building’s perimeter, even from the bunker.” He patted a radio on his belt. “Now that we know of the danger, we’ll switch to coded communications and alert your professor by cell phone when all is clear.” He turned an iron key below the knob. “
If
all is clear.”
Billy jerked his head up. His danger meter suddenly shot into the red zone. “Do you hear something?”
Bonnie pointed toward the hole in the ceiling. “It sounded like a crow.”
Patrick’s eyes flared. “You must go now!” He ran toward the image on the wall. “Follow me!”
With two beats of her wings, Bonnie zoomed toward the wall. Billy raced behind her, grabbing Excalibur’s hilt. “What do I do?”
Patrick puffed, holding his chest. “What the original Merlin . . . commanded, ‘Raise the sword to pierce the veil and strike the pose of saints in prayer.’” His head spun toward the door. “I heard a screech!”
Billy nodded. “Yeah. It’s just the crow again.”
Patrick’s cheeks turned fiery red. “It’s your enemy! Draw your sword and kneel! Now!”
Billy slid Excalibur from the scabbard. The blade flashed from hilt to point with a brilliant white light.
Patrick laid a hand on each of their heads, whispering, “Godspeed my children,” then backed away.
Billy grabbed Bonnie’s hand and heaved Excalibur upward, its glow brightening by the second.
Three banging knocks sounded at the entry. “Patrick, son of Nathan!” a female voice shouted, “Open this door!”
Excalibur’s light expanded into a halo, surrounding Billy and Bonnie with a spherical envelope of luminescence.
The banging continued, each thud sounding like a sonic boom. “Patrick! If you don’t open this door, its splinters will pierce your skull!”
Glittering specks within the sword’s halo attacked their bodies, like sparkling locusts eating away their flesh and transforming them into light energy. The huge room bent out of shape, warping like a circus sideshow mirror.