The Master's Chair (The Chronicles of Terah) (13 page)

While he was looking around the bus, he noticed someone else who seemed edgy: a slim, relatively short man who was probably older than he looked. He wore glasses that he kept taking off and putting back on, and he was squirming in his seat. He looked more like a high school nerd than anything else. The old beat-up briefcase resting on his lap didn’t really fit with his expensive, tailor-made suit. It made the whole picture seem off, like something was out of place.

The briefcase was heavy and Kevin wanted nothing more than to be rid of it. He didn’t know what was in it, and he didn’t want to know. The whole situation was weird, almost like part of a game. He liked his job, even if it was pretty boring most of the time, and he didn’t want to lose it, but many more errands like this one and he’d have to quit. That afternoon, Mr. Beasley had acted like this was a normal function of an accounting firm, but Kevin knew better.   

His anxiety over the briefcase made him feel like everyone on the bus was watching him. In fact, the man seated in front of him looked like what Kevin thought an undercover cop would look like. He was an older man dressed in jeans and a sweater, and he had a baseball cap in his hands. He looked alert and thoughtful, and that made Kevin uncomfortable.

Steve felt like fate had intervened and sent him a project just when he was ready for one. That morning, he had gone back to one of the computer stores and bought a new computer, scanner, and printer. After he had his system up and running, he’d made a couple of phone calls, and by late afternoon he had Internet service. He could hardly wait to find out what the book was about and get started doing the research. He felt like he was finally beginning to come out of mourning.

The bus was less than a mile from the mall when sharp lightening lit up the sky and the wind began to howl. The bus rocked against the wind, and when Chris looked out the window, the sky looked eerie and he saw a strange looking cloud.

A few seconds later, Steve glanced out the window and yelled, “On the floor! Everyone! On the floor!”

Kevin looked at Steve, momentarily stunned by the sheer horror on Steve’s face.

Karl grabbed Joan, pulled her to the floor, and tried to cover her with his body.

Darrell grabbed Theresa and half threw, half dragged her to the floor. Chris fell on top of them.

Steve grabbed Kevin and pulled him down just as the tornado hit.

The bus was lifted off the road and started to spin. Glass blew out of the windows with a crashing sound, and the metal in the bus screeched as it was being pulled apart.

The last thing that Chris saw was a brilliant bluish-white light; then everything went black.

Chapter 10

Wednesday, March 21

Kalen was pacing back and forth across his living room, mumbling. He had no idea what was going on, how many people to expect, when they would arrive, nothing. All he knew was that time was quickly running out.

When Pallor popped in, Kalen blurted out, “It’s about time you got here. How many did you bring? Did you tell them anything about Terah? Or about Myron?”

When Kalen paused for a breath, Pallor shook his head. “None of them know anything, Kalen. They don’t even know each other.”

“What?! I thought the companions were all going to be friends of his!”

“I know. That was the plan.” Pallor shrugged. “But he didn’t have any friends.”

“No friends?!” Kalen gasped. “What’s wrong with him?”

“Nothing’s wrong with him. He’s just never had any friends. It’s the way he grew up.”

For a moment, Kalen stood there with his mouth hanging open. Then he asked, “What am I going to do? How am I going to get them to go with him? And protect him?” Kalen shook his head, completely bewildered. “Complete strangers?!”

Pallor nodded. “Look, I’m sorry, but that’s the best I could do under the circumstances. I hate to dump all of this on you, but I’ve to get back. Good luck.” Pallor handed Kalen the briefcase, turned the key, and vanished.

~ ~ ~ ~

When the passengers from the bus came to, they found themselves in a large, circular meadow. Around the outside of the meadow was a ring of huge stones standing about five feet apart, with slightly smaller stones balanced on top, giving the appearance of a stone wall with a lot of doors. Several feet inside that circle was a second circle, made up of smaller stones.  A dense forest surrounded the whole area and there was no sign of any other people anywhere.

 After they introduced themselves to each other, they talked about the tornado, wondered what had happened to the driver, and marveled at how lucky they were to be alive and relatively unharmed. At a lull in the conversation, Karl asked if anyone had any idea where they were.

“We’ve got to be in some kind of museum or park,” Chris said as he motioned towards the stones. “Doesn’t this look a lot like Stonehenge, or rather what it must have looked like when it was first built?”

Steve nodded and said, “But I’ve never heard of a replica being built anywhere near Omaha.” Then he walked over to one of the closest stones and examined it for a moment. “These stones are real, not concrete, and they look like they’ve been here a while.”

“Could it be an old Indian mound of some kind?” Theresa asked. “Maybe a sacred burial area or something?”

“I don’t think any of the Indians from this area built anything that looked like this,” Karl answered. “I agree with Chris. It must be some kind of exhibit, but I don’t see any signs that people have been here, not even any litter. Why build something like this unless you want people to come look at it?”

Darrell slowly turned all the way around, looking for a gap in the trees. “There has to be a road around here somewhere. Those stones are huge. You’d need heavy equipment to set them up.”

“Maybe we should walk around the perimeter and see if we can find an entrance of some kind,” Chris suggested.

“Wait a minute,” Steve said, frowning at Kevin. “You were wearing glasses on the bus. Do you need them to see?”

 Kevin shook his head. “The glasses were just plain glass. I bought them to fit the image. No one trusts an accountant with good eyesight. I’m fine.”

As they began to spread out, Kevin cleared his throat and said, “But while we’re looking around, could you keep an eye out for an old battered briefcase? I was supposed to deliver it to a client, and I really need to find it. My job depends on it.” The others nodded and headed out towards the woods.

The undergrowth was so thick that the forest was virtually impenetrable. After a while, Kevin spotted a narrow and overgrown path leading away from the meadow, right through the thickets. “Hey! I found something over here,” he yelled and motioned for the others to join him. By the time everyone else got there, the path looked wider and clearer than it had at first. Kevin blinked his eyes a couple of times and then forgot about it.

“I guess this must be the way then,” Karl said. He reached for Joan’s hand and stepped towards the trail.

Kevin stepped back as the others started to follow. Steve looked at him with raised eyebrows. “I haven’t found that briefcase and I really can’t leave without it,” Kevin explained. “The rest of you go on. I’ll catch up later.”

Steve shook his head. “If whatever was in that briefcase was all that important, your client should have picked it up himself. There’s no telling where it is now.”     

“And if there was anything really valuable in it, I’m sure he had it insured. No one can hold you responsible for a tornado,” Karl added.

“Come on, Kevin. We need to stick together,” Joan said. “There’s no telling how far it is to a main road or even if this path leads to a main road.”

“Okay,” Kevin answered slowly. “I guess you’re right. I can always come back later and search for it.”

~ ~ ~ ~

Three hours later, they were still walking through the woods. They were all getting tired, but Theresa was about ready to call it a day. She didn’t want to hold the others up, but she honestly didn’t know if she could make herself go much farther in her heels. Of all times to get dressed up.

Chris was having similar problems. His feet felt like they were so swollen that if he dared take his shoes off, he’d never get them back on. If he’d had any idea how his day was going to turn out, he never would have worn these shoes. They were only about a month old and definitely not broken in enough for a hike. He was on the verge of suggesting a nice long rest break when he saw something off to the side of the trail.

After a few moments, he realized that he was looking at a small cabin sitting in a thick grove of trees. It was dark and gloomy, but there was a thin trail of smoke coming out of the chimney so someone had to be there.

“Hey!” Chris said to get everyone’s attention. Then he pointed towards the cabin. “Look. See that smoke? Someone’s got to be there, or else close by. Maybe he has a phone.”

As Chris started to head for the cabin, Steve grabbed his arm. “Hold on. Wait a minute.” Steve looked around the woods in that area and shook his head. “I don’t see any sign of a road, electrical lines, or telephone lines. I think we’ve either stumbled across a hunting cabin or some kind of hermit. Either way, whoever’s in there is probably well-armed.”

Karl nodded. “And without knowing anything about whoever’s in there, I don’t think it would be a good idea for all of us to go storming up to his front door.”

“Okay,” Chris said slowly. “But someone has to. If nothing else, whoever’s in that cabin can point us in the right direction.”

“I agree,” Karl said. “The only question is who’s going to go up to that door. I sure don’t want Joan to, and I don’t think Theresa should be the one to go either.”

“Why not?” Joan asked. “Wouldn’t it be a lot less threatening to see a woman out here in the middle of nowhere than to see a strange man?”

“Maybe less threatening to whoever’s in there, but not less dangerous for you,” Karl answered.

“She does have a point,” Chris said slowly.

“I agree with Karl,” Darrell spoke up. “Why don’t I go up there by myself? One man, by himself, wouldn’t be much more threatening than a woman, and maybe whoever’s in there would be less likely to get physical with someone who can get physical right back.”

Steve nodded. “I think you’re right as far as the one man part goes, but I’m the better candidate. You’re young and obviously strong. No one would have any doubt whatsoever that you could take care of yourself, which some people might read as a threat. I’m older, and there’s no way anyone would think I was dangerous. And besides, I’m the only one dressed for the part of a lost hiker. I’m going.”

As Steve took a step in the direction of the cabin, Chris stopped him. “What if he shoots first and asks questions later?”

Steve shrugged. “If you see a gun, duck. I know I will.”

As Steve made his way to the cabin, the others backtracked a little ways down the trail so that they would be out of sight from the door of the cabin. Then they settled in to wait.

When Steve knocked on the door, it slowly swung open revealing a bright and cheerful room with soft white walls and beautiful rugs scattered over the floor. Large windows looked out over exquisite gardens and spacious lawns.

The entrance room was larger than the whole cabin had looked from the outside, and appeared to be a combination living room and office. There was a big fireplace on one side of the room with shelves full of strange knickknacks on each side of it. On the other side of the room was a modern executive-style desk. In between, were couches and big overstuffed chairs, each with its own lamp table, but the tables had small black boxes on them instead of lamps. From the front door, Steve could see a hall leading to other rooms, and a very enticing aroma of freshly cooked food drifted from that direction.

A gruff voice emanating from somewhere deep in the house called out, “Well, don’t just stand there, come on in, and tell the others to come on in, too! You must be starving. Dinner’s been ready for hours. What took you so long?”

Steve wasn’t sure whether he should enter the cabin or wait at the door until the owner of that voice made an appearance. It was clear that the man was expecting someone, but Steve wasn’t sure he should take advantage of the man’s hospitality. He decided to err on the side of caution, so he waited at the door.

After a couple of seconds, a man stepped out into the hall carrying a large mug. At first glance, Steve placed his age at anywhere from forty to eighty. He was maybe four feet tall and at least two feet wide, but there didn’t appear to be an ounce of fat on him. His face and hands looked like seasoned leather and seemed a bit too large for his body. He wore black leggings, black boots, and a brown tunic, gathered at the waist by a wide leather belt. His thick grizzled hair hung several inches below his shoulders, and a full gray beard reached halfway down his chest. At the center of his chest, right at the point of his beard, was a large pendant, and in the center of that pendant was a light blue stone shimmering with deep violet bands. All in all, he did not look that friendly.

“Don’t just stand there with your mouth hanging open. Call the others,” Kalen demanded.

Steve turned to the woods and signaled to the others to come in. Then as he stepped through the door into the large front room, Kalen offered him the mug. Steve took it and raised it to his lips. As he smelled the cold dark liquid to see if he could identify it, a strange sense of well-being came over him. When he sipped it, he found the taste unusual, but quite pleasant.

Kalen pointed to one of the chairs, and Steve gratefully accepted the invitation to sit down with his drink. Then Kalen disappeared into the kitchen for a minute and returned carrying a tray with enough mugs of scog for everyone. As the others entered the cabin, he handed each of them a mug. Almost immediately, Kalen knew which one was Myron. He looked just like Yvonne.

 Once they were all settled on the couches and chairs, Kalen introduced himself and told them that he was pleased that they had finally arrived.

His visitors looked at each other in confusion. Finally Chris spoke up. “You act like you were expecting us, but that doesn’t make sense. We don’t even know where we are. The last thing any of us remember before we woke up in the meadow was our bus being hit by a tornado.”

“Maybe someone has been through here looking for us,” Joan said to Chris. Then she looked at Kalen and asked, “Are they searching this area? Do they know we’re here?”

“Don’t worry about the details right now. We’ll talk after you’ve eaten,” Kalen said. “Dinner will be on the table in about fifteen minutes. In the meantime, enjoy your scog.” Then he turned and walked back down the hall toward the kitchen.

“Scog? What’s scog?” Theresa whispered. She had yet to raise the mug to her lips.

“I think it’s our drink.” Joan sipped the dark liquid again. “I don’t think I’ve ever tasted anything quite like it, but it’s nice.”

“If I were you, I’d drink it slowly,” Steve said. “I was pretty tense when I came in here, but now that I’ve had a few sips I feel much more relaxed.”

“I’m glad it’s not just me,” Darrell said quietly. “I feel almost tranquilized.” He sat back and closed his eyes for a moment. “Did anyone else notice that he had the right number of mugs on that tray? Was he really waiting for us?”

“I don’t see how he could have been,” Karl answered. “Perhaps it’s just one big mix-up.”

“As long as he feeds us before he figures it out,” Chris said with a sigh. “I’m starved.”

While they waited for their host to reappear, an easy silence filled the room.

A few minutes later, Kalen returned and asked them to follow him to the dining room. The first thing they noticed about the dining room was its size, and the second thing they noticed was the long table loaded with platters of meat, bowls of vegetables, freshly baked bread, fruits, and pastries.

Kalen motioned to the chairs, and as his visitors seated themselves he told them to enjoy their meal, and that he would wait for them in the living room.

The food, delicious by any standards, was particularly good since it had been so long since any of them had had anything to eat. Finally, when everyone was finished, they went back to the living room, and had a seat.

Joan was the first to break the uneasy silence. “Thank you for dinner. We really enjoyed it.”

Kalen nodded and mumbled, “You’re welcome.”

After another minute of tense silence had passed, Chris asked, “Could you tell us where we are? And do you have a phone? We need to call our families and let them know we’re alive and where we are.”

 “We need to call in to our jobs, too,” Karl added.

Theresa stared at her hands, clasped in her lap, and whispered, “I don’t care whether anyone finds out where I am or not.”

Joan was the only one who heard her. She gave Theresa a questioning look, but Theresa didn’t say anything else.