Relics (24 page)

“Sure.” They arranged a time and disconnected the call.

I took a deep breath, hiding my irritation. I was determined to not let Jones ruin my dinner. I finished up, grilling asparagus, putting rice on to boil and making cinnamon carrots. I sliced tomatoes and cucumbers for a light salad. Rolls went into the oven to heat up, while Reo made himself useful and put whipped butter in a bowl and got a bread basket ready with a heavy linen cloth.

When the chicken was ready, I pulled it out of the oven and moved it onto a platter, surrounding it with the celery and mushrooms and parsley garnish. The lemon butter broth went into a gravy bowl with a ladle.

Reo and I carried the various dishes to the dining room, placing the hot bowls on brass trivets. I called in the others as I made the final trip in with the rolls.

It wasn't a fancy meal, but I hoped it had enough variety to be pleasant. Thulu and Reo requested it often enough to make me think it was good.

I had set us up at one end of the table, with the other three chairs left vacant. Jenna and Parker stayed in the other room. When I asked, Thulu said Parker was teaching her to play checkers on a board he'd materialized.

I offered to help the goblins onto their chairs, and they accepted. Romeo was sniffing appreciatively. We passed dishes around and filled our plates. Thulu poured wine into crystal glasses. I looked around, rather pleased with myself. The china gleamed, the crystal sparkled, the silver shone, the food sent up tantalizing aromas and people were smiling. I ladled the lemon butter broth into a small dipping bowl on my plate. Thulu raised his glass, looking around at all of us with a big grin, dimples showing.

“To friends, old and new. To the new era. To loving and being loved.”

We all smiled, clinked glasses and sipped the wine. It was a good dinner. Juliet, especially, enjoyed the food, praising each dish as she tasted it. She even raved over the rolls, although I told her they were store bought and I couldn't take any credit.

We talked about light topics, nothing too serious. Juliet told several funny stories from her days as a dog. By choosing to be the very small breeds with long life expectancies, she was able to stay with an owner for about ten years. She didn't want to push her luck and have vets become suspicious at how healthy she was by staying much beyond that. She'd been with her last owner eight years.

“One time when I was a tiny Yorkie, my owner took me on a trip. She had decided to breed me and somehow I missed the conversation that would have warned me. Have you ever seen a dog try to cross her hind legs?  I'm telling you. It isn't easy. I finally made my escape, with my tail tucked firmly between my legs. Needless to say, I found a new owner after that. And never went Yorkie again.”

Even Romeo was laughing hard – probably in relief.

She again mentioned that she wanted to help the woman who had been such a good friend to her. She was sure she'd be lonely without her “Prinny.”

“You cannot imagine how many times I've been Princess this or that,” she laughed.

Reo told stories about people who had come to his show. Over dessert, Thulu and I shared a couple of stories of former clients. Even Romeo chipped in a couple of stories.

While the separation was obviously not easy for either of them, I got the impression that Juliet had dealt with it better. Maybe because she had one of those sunny dispositions that can make lemonade out of even the sourest of lemons. Maybe because she had faith that she'd find her husband eventually. Fifty years is a long time, though. I asked about that, and both of them laughed.

Juliet reached for her wine glass and said, “Oh sweetie, fifty years is nothing. Goblin life spans can be several thousand years, unless we're killed by an outside source. Romeo and I have been married for four hundred years.”

We gaped at the little goblins.

“I bet you guys could really give good advice on how to have a successful marriage,” Reo said. Pointing at us, he continued, “These two found the recipe, but there are lots of people who don't have it.”

Romeo and Juliet laughed. Thulu and I smiled at each other. For a moment I saw a flash of sadness in Reo's eyes. Thulu isn't psychic, but he caught the look, too. “You'll find someone too, Reo. I know he's out there.”

“Promises, promises.” His tone was light.

“Sooner than you may imagine, my friend,” Thulu said. “I feel the time is getting closer.” Reo and I exchanged a look. This was new. Usually Thulu was just open-ended cryptic on this topic.

After dinner, Reo, Thulu and I cleaned up, refusing help from the goblins. “Nope,” I said, “You two are on vacation. The back porch is screened in, if you want to sit there and enjoy the evening. You should be fine from prying eyes.”

They liked that suggestion and headed out holding hands.

The three of us loaded the dishwasher and put everything else away. Thulu and Reo went into the family room as I went upstairs. I did a quick check of the guest room next to Reo's on the second floor.

The room held a brass bed with a hand quilted comforter, several plump pillows, two night stands and a bureau. I kept it clean with fresh sheets in case any members of our extended family stayed over.

I pulled out thick towels and wash cloths from the hall linen closet and carried them to the guest bathroom. I looked at the old-fashioned claw tub in the guest bathroom. Hmmm. I looked at the shower, mentally measuring the faucets.

I decided I'd offer mine and Thulu's shower in the master suite and carried the towels into our bathroom. I thought Juliet would probably appreciate it. At least she and Romeo could reach the wand controls. Also I wanted to show it off.

I went back downstairs, pretty pleased with myself. Thulu caught my mood and asked me what was up. I told him about letting the goblins use our bath. He laughed and gave a drawn out “Oh, yeah.”

Reo said he was leaving for the night. He wanted to get his mind clear for the next morning. I gave him a hug and kiss good night at the door, locking it after him.

We turned on the TV to see what the latest news was. Everything was still amazingly calm. No sign of Gabriel. Shots of the different portal locations showed that each one had been closed. All former portals were still guarded, and a watch was kept for new ones.

The cities felt like they were in a holding pattern. Few people were out and about, and those who were seemed subdued and quiet. I imagined people staying home, glued to their big screens.

Other than that, there were rather boring reports of elves meeting with high ranking officials in various governments. Everything was almost too placid. I wondered how many empaths were keeping the more volatile situations under control.

Romeo and Juliet came into the room and asked if there was anything new. We quickly brought them up to speed.

“The elves are natural leaders and well respected on many worlds. With them heading everything, it should be relatively smooth,” said Romeo.

“I have a question for you,” said Juliet, looking at the kids, who were still playing checkers. “Do they stay here all the time?”

I lowered my voice. “Jenna is new, but Parker has been around for about four months. I don't know why he hasn't moved on, but Jenna is part of the Jones situation.”

“Jones?”

“Dhavenbahtek.”

I explained briefly the Mason situation. Juliet looked thoughtful, but didn't add any insights. I offered to show her and Romeo to their room and said they were welcome to use our bathroom.

I led the way upstairs. I showed them the guest room and offered them T shirts, which they accepted.  I grabbed two fresh ones from my closet.

Flipping on the lights, I showed them into the master bath. The gasps and looks of wonder said I'd made the right choice. I pointed out the sunken tub and the shower, both of which should be easier for them to handle.

They thanked me, and I accepted graciously. Having them as guests at our family gathering was going to be more than thanks enough.

“Sweet dreams when you get there,” I said as I left the room, shutting the door behind me.

I stepped into the closet and retrieved a small step-stool. I took it to the guest room and placed it by the bed. I turned on the table lamps and gave the room a final inspection.

I went back downstairs and called Thulu's parents to let them know we might be having “special guests.” Mama Deb answered and seemed suitably intrigued, but I didn't give it away. I went into the family room to watch the news with the kids and Thulu.

The lack of a major reaction from humans was intriguing me. Humans were just not that civilized. Even knowing that empaths were containing the major situations didn't seem to cover it all for me. There just seemed to be more to it.

My brain kept poking at the lack of response. I looked at it from every direction, but I was at a loss. I wanted to know exactly how Earth could be “invaded” and so few people raise hell about it. Not that I wanted them to.

I had an indefinable sense that I was missing something.

The vocal minority was not being nearly as vocal as I'd expect them to be. Of course, not everyone was quiet. There were some who were doing their usual rabble rousing, but they almost seemed half-hearted about it. Their fiery passion and yelling and obnoxiousness were toned way down. And their rabble wasn't rousing to their rants.

Where were the marches and demonstrators with signs?  Where were the people who always had something to say about everything, whether they knew anything about it or not?  And where were the people who believed in anything supernatural or alien?  They should be out in force, celebrating their vindication. Yet, Earth remained relatively calm and quiet. I didn't like it, and I certainly didn't trust it.

It kept nagging at me. The longer they stayed quiet, the more curious I became. Maybe part of it was shock, maybe even fear. Except usually that would be enough to set the fringe people off, in spite of empaths.

I wasn't exactly worried, but damn it, humanity should be a lot noisier. Keeping things calm was appreciated, but it wasn't – human. The media barely mentioned, except in passing, how civilized we all were at handling the situation. But the Wacko Factor was missing, and that was a mystery I wanted to solve.

I told Thulu what was on my mind. “I'm not crazy, Thulu. I really believe there's more to this. Something else is going on and not just empaths and shock.”

He was quiet for a while as he thought it over, but he didn't have any ideas either.

“Sounds like a Reo issue, Fi. Run it by him tomorrow. Although, with the portals closed, things should stay calm.”

It sounded like the best idea to me. I made a mental note to do just that.

I stood up, did some stretches and told Thulu I was going to contact Emily and Seung. We usually didn't do business at home if we could avoid it, but I didn't want to wait until Monday. I'd already procrastinated on this, and it was time to bite the bullet. We moved to the study, and I sat on the sofa in one corner. I took a deep breath and called for Emily.

She came in wearing a nice summer dress, white with small yellow zigzag patterns through it. Her long dark hair gleamed, and while she still seemed shy, she also had gained confidence somehow. I always found it fascinating that the dead continued to grow as people after they died.  Emily had blossomed; there was no other word for it.

“You look beautiful, Emily.”

She smiled shyly, but also seemed grateful for the recognition. The air carried the scent of honeysuckle to me.

“I have some news for you. Did you want to sit with us?”

She nodded and took a seat on the sofa next to me. I sat sideways and wished I could take her hands. I told her what Jones had told us, explaining that the being who currently inhabited that body was not the same as the one who had killed her.

I also briefly told her about Jones's true nature, the Light Ones who had opened the portals, the importance of the relics and what we were facing. I wasn't sure why I added these details, but I felt awful not being able to find her body. She took that very well, simply nodding when I said it had been moved to another world. She smiled sweetly when I told her that Jones had offered to give her a lovely memorial service.

“That would be great,” she said. I waited, but she didn't add anything. I asked her if she had any questions, and she said she didn't. Finally I couldn’t stand it any longer.

“Emily, you seem very different. Has something happened?”

I would have sworn a ghost couldn't blush, but she managed it. She dropped her voice in a confidential whisper.

“Well, Devon Parrish has been kind enough to help me out. I’ve been lost all these years, but he's been showing me around and helping me adjust.”

“Really?  Wow, Emily –” I stopped, at a loss for words for a moment, but quickly recovered. “Emily that is simply awesome.”

“I know!  He's very nice. And he understands what it's like to be dead. I mean being dead himself and all.”

Yeah, I thought, that would be a good way to know about being dead.

“So, please tell Mr. Jones – the replacement one, I mean – please let him know that there's no hurry. Anytime is fine with me.” She paused. “In fact, I think Devon plans to hire you guys, so I may wait until that's resolved. If that's okay.”

“Absolutely. I'm sorry we weren't able to do more, Emily.”

“You found out what happened to my body. That means a lot. And I'm having fun.” She paused again. “You don't think that's wrong do you?” She frowned slightly.

“To have fun?  No, Emily, I highly recommend fun.”

“Well, thanks, La Fi. Good luck with all the portal stuff you're doing. I don't know if Devon and I can help, but if we can, please let us know, okay?”

She probably didn't realize that she had spoken for Devon, but I bet he would have nodded in agreement had he been there.

I smiled and promised her I definitely would. She gave a small wave before popping out.

I filled Thulu in on what she'd said.

“That went much better than I expected it to.”

“Ain't love grand?” was his answer.

“Indeed.”

Next I called Seung Kang. He appeared after a few moments, dressed neatly in a short sleeved white shirt and dark slacks. I caught the scent of some spice from him, but didn't identify it right away. I invited him to sit in a chair next to us. Rather than drag it out, I explained right away what was going on with his relic, the panel Jones had taken. I gave him details on the portals and different relics, explaining who and what Jones was and who he’d been in the Tang Dynasty.

Seung looked startled when I relayed that information. “He was one of the sorcerers?”

“Yes, and he is the one who commissioned the panels to begin with.”

“Do you believe him?” was his pointed question.

I looked into his eyes. “Yes, Mr. Kang, I do believe him.” I explained that Jones intended to banish the Light Ones and close their portal with the relics.

“I have seen one of these Light Ones. I like that name better than 'angels,'” he said thoughtfully. “I did not like the way the air felt around him.”

“Anything you can share with us?  Your impressions would be very helpful.”

He thought for a long moment. “We have always been taught that angels are good. I do not think the being I saw was good. He came to find me after I was dead, asking about the panel. I told him it had been stolen after my death, and I was not sure who had it.” He looked up at me. “This was truth. I might have suspected who had it, but I did not know for certain. I also did not know of the relic shown on the panel.”

He paused again. “This being frightened me. It may seem odd for someone who is dead to be afraid, but I was. I am not sure what he could do to me, but I am certain it would not be pleasant. He was called away at that moment. He told me to contact him if I received any information. His name is Gabriel.”

He stopped again, took a breath and went on. “This was before I met you. I did not tell him much of anything. I'm glad he left me alone after that.”

“How long ago was this, do you know?”

He shook his head. “I am not certain. After I was dead.” He paused. “So you have some mysteries to solve. Some are from a very long time ago. How do you plan to proceed?”

I shook my head. “Mr. Kang, we're not sure exactly.” We hadn't told him about the Masons, just that there were others involved and our leads were slim.

He was silent for several minutes.

“I will do what I can to try to get some information for you.”

To say I was surprised would be an understatement. Two ghosts in a row offering their help?  And clients of ours that we were supposed to be helping, but had failed. Mr. Kang smiled at me.

“You are surprised, Mrs. Thulukan, but you should not be. I will tell you now that I do not want this Gabriel coming after me, but I also do not want him in a world where my family lives. I must give this some thought, but perhaps I may be able to lend assistance.”

“Mr. Kang, thank you. We will greatly appreciate any help you can give. Thulu has had some twitches but nothing concrete about the relics. We would be in your debt.”

He smiled. “Quid pro quo.” He stood and gave a short bow. “I will keep you updated.” He left with a small flourish that seemed almost jaunty.

“That went way too well.” I don't trust things when they go too smoothly. In spite of portals to other worlds, things had mostly been going smoothly. It wasn't natural.

I gave Thulu a hug and put my head against his chest, listening to his steady heartbeat, something I always felt calming. He put his arms around me and laid his head on top of mine. We sat there for several long minutes.

The phone sang, and I reached into my pocket and gave Thulu a quick kiss before answering it. It was Nana Fae. I put her on speaker and sat back on the sofa.

“You guys okay?”

“Yeah, Nana, we are. Are you?”

“Yes, dear. I just wanted to be sure all was well. This layer of calmness is interfering with my ability, I think.”

“Really?  Thulu and I were talking about that a bit ago. I don't trust it.”

“I'm not sensing anything diabolical about it, Fiona. Just some weirdness. Well, keep me posted if you find anything new.”

I promised to call if there was any news. I ended the call, stood and stretched.

Thulu moved to the computer. He had that preoccupied look he got when he was sensing something.

“I'm going to jump in the shower if our guests are done.”

I went upstairs, saw the door to the guest room was shut and went to our bathroom. I pulled a towel from the cabinet. Going to my vanity, I did a quick facial, checking my skin for blemishes or anything that might need special attention.

After throwing my clothes down the laundry chute, I turned the waterfall on and all the showerheads, including the wands. 

I got in the shower, closing the door behind me. I walked across the pebble floor, through the spray of all the nozzles, to the waterfall. I stood under the cascading water and let the music of falling water soak into my mind. After I'd bathed, I curled up on the seat behind the waterfall, resting my head against the smooth rocks of the wall.

I must have lost track of time because I heard a voice say, “You're going to turn into a prune.”

“Mhmm,” I answered.

The door opened. A cool draft of air wafted my way, swirling the steam in the shower. I peeked out to see Thulu shutting the door behind him. It was a great view.

“So, have I ever mentioned that I'm a soul reader?”

I moved forward to clear the small waterfall and gave him a suspicious look. One never knew with Thulu.

“No, I don't think you've shared that bit of information.”

“I'm quite good at it, actually.” He sat on one of the side seats and motioned to the one across from him. I moved to the other seat.

Nodding, he continued, “I'm quite surprised you didn't know this. In some circles, I'm known as the Great and Wonderful Reader of Souls.”

“Oh, really?  I'm shocked that this could have escaped my attention all these years.”

“Well, this is the perfect time for me to read yours. Being that you're all pruney.”

I looked at my hands. They were pretty pruney. I shrugged and held out my hand palm up.

“Oh, honestly, love. Not your hand. Give me your foot.”

I giggled. “Okay you meant 'sole' reader.”

He nodded. “Absolutely. The lines in the sole of the foot can tell a lot about a person's future,” he added wisely.

“Uh-huh, I'll bite.” I lifted my foot and rested it on his knee. Thulu peered intently at it for a moment.

“Aha!  I see that tomorrow your adoring husband will let you sleep in and then cook a wonderful breakfast.”

“Thulu!” I protested. “You can't predict things that you can make happen. It doesn’t count.”

He looked at me in mock disbelief. “Do you question the Great and Wonderful Reader of Soles?”

“I'm just saying it doesn’t count to say something is going to happen when you know very well you are the one who can make it happen.”

“Does that mean you don't want breakfast?”

“I didn't say that.” I backtracked a bit. “Just that you are making a self-fulfilling prophecy.”

He ignored me and peered at the bottom of my foot once again. “I also see in your future –” He looked in my eyes, then back at my foot. “There's some fog here. No, wait a moment. I don't think it's fog. I think – yes, I'm sure of it. I see shower steam.” He looked up again, dimpling at me. “I foresee, in your very near future, fabulous shower sex.”

I watched him closely. He raised an eyebrow.

“Aren't you going to make a smart-ass comment about more self-fulfilling prophecies?” he asked innocently.

“No, I think I'll just let you fulfill that prophecy.”