“You boys better come in,” Ms. White called from the porch, sounding a lot gentler than the first time they heard her voice.
The boys didn’t need any more encouragement than that. They stood up and ran to the house, making Adam step inside the porch first, but Ms. White was no longer there by the time they arrived.
“Come in the house,” she said from somewhere further inside. Adam heard an accent that he hadn’t noticed earlier.
They stepped just inside the doorway and stayed on the shoe rug, being polite. They squished together with Adam and Jimmy at the front and Kevin and Mark barely inside. The rug lay at the edge of a small living room that was decorated in light pastel colors that reminded Adam of Easter.
“I’m making some lemonade. Please find a spot and sit down. Leave on your shoes,” she said from around a corner in a distinctly English accent.
They heard the clinking of glasses and sounds of stirring as each boy found a seat in the living room. There were no photographs in the room, but many pastel paintings of flowers hung tastefully about.
Adam looked around and felt that there was something odd. It wasn’t completely dark outside, but the light in the room seemed very pleasant. He remembered that Gurpreet had said Ms. White had no power or water. As he looked up, he realized why he felt strange. The ceiling was glowing like the tunnels, although it was a softer light.
At the same time, Ms. White stepped into the living room. “Who’s thirsty?” she asked, holding a tray full of glasses.
All four boys stared at her in silence, unable to speak. She was the woman in the 1910 photograph of Town Hall, not a day older than she looked in the picture!
Adam sat silent, shocked. His mind flipped through scenarios, none of which made sense. Either the lady in front of him was the descendant of the woman in the picture, or she was the woman in the picture. If she was the woman in the picture, she would have to be well over 100 years old and she didn’t even look 40.
“No-one is thirsty? We’ll have to drink quickly,” she said.
“I’ll have some,” said Kevin. “Pleased to meet you, ma’am. I’m Kevin Baranov,” he said as he remembered his manners.
“Pleased to meet you as well, Kevin,” she replied handing him a glass.
The others kept staring at her.
“You’re supposed to be old,” said Mark.
“I am old, Mark,” she responded. The fact that she knew his name surprised him.
“I’m James Jones the Third, ma’am. Pleased to meet you,” said Jimmy.
“Pleased to meet you as well. You prefer to be called Jimmy, right?” she asked.
“Yes ma’am,” he replied, surprised.
Adam watched as she handed Mark and Jimmy lemonade, then turned to him.
“Hello Adam, nice to see you again,” she said.
Again? thought Adam.
“uh…yeah…nice to see you too, Ms. White,” he replied.
She smiled and handed him a glass of lemonade. “You won’t remember me, but I’ve known you since you were born. I knew your father well.” She looked at each of the boys. “In fact, I know each of your fathers well.”
“Sorry, Ms. White?” he replied.
“Don’t call me Ms. White. My name is Elianora. Most people call me Nora, but some call me Ellie. Either one is fine.” She set the tray on a small table and sat in the chair next to it.
“You’re Number 1,” said Adam, “That’s how you knew my dad.”
“Yes,” she said without a flinch, “I’ve heard you are a clever young man.”
Adam blushed a little. He wondered who would have told her that he was ‘clever’.
“You were here when Grayson was built,” he stated.
“Yes, Adam. I was here,” she replied.
“How old are you, then?” asked Mark.
She sighed. “Let’s just say ‘really old’, ok?”
“You seem nice,” said Mark, “but I’ve always heard you were an old grouch.”
The other boys looked at Mark in disbelief of what he had just said.
Elianora laughed. “Thanks…I think,” she replied. “I’ve kept the appearance of being an ‘old grouch’ for the sake of all the non-Sentinel League members. It helps maintain my privacy without raising suspicion.”
“Did you really shoot at Mr. Garagan when he was delivering groceries?” asked Mark.
Adam and the others were still in disbelief at Mark’s questions, even though they wanted to hear the answers.
She smiled at Mark, “No, I didn’t. He is a member of the League and we came up with that story to ‘discourage’ visitors. The story worked a little too well. Now everyone honks on their way in, but I usually know someone is coming long before they get here.”
“How do you know when someone is coming?” asked Adam, thinking Elianora must have some interesting science that alerts her in advance.
“It’s so quiet here that the sound of cars on the gravel travels a long way,” she replied, to Adam’s disappointment.
Adam’s mind raced through questions he could ask, stopping on the most immediate one. “Is that the same fog out there as the one they found in Langenburg?” he asked.
She frowned and nodded, confirming his suspicion.
“Do you know what’s going on?” he asked.
She sighed again. “Yes, I do. It’s because of me, actually.” She stood up and stepped toward her kitchen. “There’s a lot to tell you, and really not much time. If you are done your drink, please follow me.”
They chugged their lemonade and followed her through the kitchen, setting their glasses on the countertop as they passed by. She led them through a doorway and down a set of stairs where she opened a familiar sliding door. As she slid her hand on the wall in a slow upward motion, Adam could see lights glow in the room beyond.
They entered and looked around, seeing the room was like a cave, similar to the secret file room at Town Hall, only wider and more brightly lit. One side of the cave held stacks of books and various items, from a curved staff to a top hat and cane. The other side of the cave had shelves filled with jars and bottles of various sizes, shapes and colors. At the far end was a table holding 3 books, each sitting on its own small podium. As they walked toward the books, Adam tried to read the labels on the bottles, but they were written in a script he had never seen before. When he looked at the books on the other wall, there were many different scripts used on their titles, but none that he could read or even recognize.
“I have a story to show you. It will answer a few of your questions,” said Elianora, pointing at the books on the table.
“I don’t read all that fast,” said Kevin, “and you said we were in a hurry.”
She smiled at Kevin. “Don’t worry. You’ll do fine with these books. Gurpreet said he gave you a quick history of the Sentinel League, right?”
They nodded.
She stepped behind the table and moved the middle book to face the boys, then thumbed through the pages. As she flipped through, they saw movement on each page, as if each one was a three-dimensional video screen, the thickness of a paper.
“Here it is,” she said stopping at a page, “now watch.”
The page began playing a video that looked like a 1920’s era silent film. The title screen said ‘Larix and the Heartstone’ in the same style of script as Adam had seen on other items in the cave, but still in English. Adam looked to Elianora, who smiled and gestured for him to continue with the story. As he looked back to the page, he found the video started from the exact place it stopped when he had looked up.
The page showed a shadow of a man standing on a hill, holding a red glowing object in his hand. Next to him looked like a King wearing a crown of leaves. The shadow man whispered in the King’s ear. The King looked down at an army of men who carried spears and weapons that looked to be ancient. The King pointed to a village, toward which the army marched, while the object in the hand of the shadow man glowed. The scene darkened. Whe
n it lightened again, the village was burning. Men, women, and children ran from the village. A hail of arrows streaked through the air. The scene went dark again.
They all looked up at Elianora. “Done?” she asked. They nodded, and she turned the page.
The scene began with a group of people coming upon the village. They were dressed in white robes, and their faces could not be seen because of the light streaming from them. They walked through the destroyed village viewing the damage, clearly dismayed. The scene darkened. A new scene began. The shadow man stood alone in a barren plain, facing the white clothed people. They were clearly arguing. The object in the shadow man’s hand pulsed brighter as they argued until it exploded into whiteness.
The playback stopped and they all looked to Elianora again. She turned another page.
The next scene began in white, and slowly faded back to where the group had stood. Only the shadow man remained, lying on the ground. None of the people in white were there, clearly destroyed in the explosion. The pulsing object was no longer in the hand of the shadow man. He rolled over and began searching frantically. The scene darkened and Elianora closed the book.
"The dark man's name is Larix. He is the leader of the Decreta - those Teneo who think Mankind should be slaves. Like all of the Teneo, Larix has a special skill set. When he speaks, it is difficult not to be swayed by him. He has used this gift for centuries to cause Mankind to fight amongst themselves."
"Did you say centuries?" asked Jimmy.
"Yes. Things like the Inquisition were started because of him," she replied.
Having learned about the Inquisition in school just the previous year, the group was shocked.
She continued, "The people in white were some of the Teneo who believed in letting Mankind evolve naturally; that they would be capable of great things in time. The object Larix was holding is called the Heartstone, and it gave him great power. Where he found it, we do not know. He used it to destroy our home island, and many good people living there at the time."
"If the Heartstone was that powerful, why didn't he just kill everyone with it?" asked Adam.
"Well, he didn't want to kill everyone as much as he wanted to rule them as a god. As a Teneo, he was small and weaker than most, but he was smart in the ways of deception. With the Heartstone, he gained strength and truly believed he was invincible. He convinced various factions of Mankind that he was a god, and had them do his bidding, which usually meant starting war with other men for his enjoyment.
In the first story you saw, the Emperor was named Titus. He had just become Emperor after the death of his father, Vespasian, in the year 79 AD. We aren’t sure if Larix had anything to do with the death of Vespasian, but we know he went to Titus and convinced him that he was a god. By controlling the Emperor of Rome, he controlled almost all of Mankind.”
“How could he convince them he was a god?” asked Mark.
“I’m not going to show you that one because it’s too long, but since you asked, I’ll tell you the quick version. Larix intercepted Titus as he was touring through his southern lands. Larix told Titus to bow down before him because he was a god, but Titus refused. Larix turned to the nearest mountain and, using the power of the Heartstone, he caused it to erupt. That mountain was named Mt. Vesuvius.”
All four boys understood what she was saying and were stunned with disbelief.
"Are you saying that this guy - Larix - caused the disaster at Pompeii?" asked Mark.
"Yes. He wiped out an entire city to gain power over the Emperor. That’s the kind of thing he enjoyed doing, and that’s the power he had with the Heartstone.”
“So he lost the Heartstone?” asked Kevin.
Elianora nodded. “Yes, and he’s regained it a few times too. It has cost us a lot of lives to recover it each time.”
Elianora paused for a moment, almost sad from the memory.
"So, back to the story. In the other scene you saw, a group of Teneo caught up with Larix, intent on bringing him to justice. It was the first time any Teneo had caught up with him since he destroyed our island, and the Teneo had heard stories of Larix’s new powers. Something happened that Larix didn't expect, though. The Heartstone went crazy and spent all of its energy in one blast. It killed all of the Teneo present, but spared Larix.”
She paused and took a deep breath. “The force of the blast threw the Heartstone a few miles away. It was lost for a while until a shepherd saw it glowing in a field. When the shepherd brought it back to his village, another Teneo was already there. That Teneo’s name was Raphia, and he was following his fellow Teneo who had been killed. Raphia had heard stories of the stone Larix carried as well. After hearing the story of the explosion nearby, Raphia assumed the Heartstone had played a part.
The Heartstone seemed to be glowing more and more as time went on, pulsing in a furious manner each time Raphia approached the stone. Each time the shepherd approached it, nothing happened. They realized that the Heartstone reacted to the Teneo but not to normal humans. At the time, they assumed it was recovering from the blast and didn’t know how long it would take to recharge. They didn’t want to be around when it gained full strength or there would be more unneeded deaths, but they needed to make sure the Heartstone was kept away from Larix. Raphia enlisted the help of the shepherd, and they travelled to meet with the remaining Teneo.”
“At the meeting a few days later, the shepherd brought out the Heartstone. As soon as it entered the room with the Teneo, it exploded. Although it was a small explosion, it hurt the shepherd. After helping the shepherd and trying to destroy the Heartstone, the Teneo understood that they couldn’t be anywhere near it, so they had to enlist the help of Mankind. Mankind would have to protect it from Larix, under the guidance of the Teneo, in order to ensure the safety of all. That’s how the Sentinel League began.”
“Why didn’t you destroy it?” asked Mark.
“We tried many times, especially after it spent its energy and was weak. Nothing we did had any effect. We even buried it deep in the Arizona desert and hoped it would be gone forever. We had been storing it in a cave for many years without issue, so we didn’t foresee any problems. A day later it exploded; leaving a large crater that people still believe was made by a meteor. Luckily, no one was hurt. In the end, too many attempts killed too many good people, so we decided to quit trying. That’s when we started constructing locations to hide it, far enough underground that it won’t be set off if a Teneo stood directly over it.”
“Why not put this Larix guy in jail? Or kill him?” asked Jimmy.
“Well, we aren’t that easy to kill, and it goes against all that we believe. We have had him in jail a few times, but he talked his way out more than once.”
“So Larix is looking for the Heartstone? He’s the reason all of the people are missing in Waldron and Langenburg?” asked Adam.
“Yes,” answered Elianora.
“Did the Heartstone cause the explosions at Tunguska and Halifax?” asked Mark, changing the subject.
Elianora nodded. “At Tunguska we retrieved the Heartstone with great difficulty and the loss of many lives. After that explosion, it took a week to find the Heartstone again. Halifax was just an accident while transporting the Heartstone, not explosives as we reported in the story afterward. Luckily, the explosion threw the Heartstone onto the mainland instead of into the ocean. We found it a few days later.”
“So you brought it to Grayson after that?” asked Mark.
Elianora smiled. “No. We moved it back overseas into Africa for a while. We thought Larix would hear about the explosion and come to search for the Heartstone here. It didn’t come back until much later. In the meantime, we had built sites all over the world to hide it, and we move it around every few years.”
“Who knows where it is right now?” asked Mark.
“At the moment - me,” she stated. “The fewer people that know, the easier it is to keep secret. I’ve found that out the hard way too many times.”
/> “Is it here in Grayson?” asked Adam.
“Under normal circumstances, I wouldn’t answer that question, but we aren’t under normal circumstances. Yes, the Heartstone is nearby. Larix is here to find it in any way possible. I didn’t expect him to come for a few more days, though. The fog he is using keeps people out as much as in. It disrupts any electronics, but does more than that. I think they release a gas inside the area. This gas turns people into what you would call ‘zombies’, stuck in a dream world and half asleep. In that state, he can get answers from them without a lot of effort on his part."
“Are you sure?” asked Adam.
“Pretty sure, but not completely. I know of the gas, but it is a Teneo secret that was leaked or discovered by Larix somewhere else.”
“Is there a cure or a vaccination?” asked Mark.
“Yes. I was going to have all the Senior members start taking it tomorrow, but I guess I’m too late.”
“So why are you telling us all of this?” asked Adam. “We’re just Junior Initiates.”
Elianora paused and looked Adam straight in the eyes. “Because I need you to help protect the Heartstone,” she said.
The statement shocked the boys.
“Us? Why?” said Adam.
“Because you’re young and Larix will overlook you if you’re caught,” she said in a flat tone.
Adam looked at the others, then back to Elianora. "Is it hidden in the tunnels?"
"No, it's actually hidden outside of town."
They all relaxed a little, relieved that they didn't have to go back into town.
"But the key to finding it is still in town. One of the members knows where the key is hidden, and if Larix finds the key he is one step closer to finding the Heartstone. If you can get the key and bring it back to me, I can keep it away from him and he won’t be able to get the Heartstone."
Adam tensed up again. It wasn't going to be easy.
“I’m sorry to have to ask you to do this, but it’s the only way I can think of. The member in question was supposed to leave on a holiday tomorrow so he wouldn’t be around if something like this happened.”
Adam thought for a moment. “Karl,” he said.
Elianora nodded. “After your dad died, I chose Karl to move the Heartstone when the time came for it to go somewhere else. He had the right 'skills'. It was meant to move recently, but due to an oversight on my part, it had to stay. Now, I have to make some quick decisions and I have decided to ask you for help. Will you help me?”
The boys looked at each other and Adam nodded for the group.
"Good. The key is hidden in the clock tower at Town Hall. It is the reason the clock hasn't worked for the last ten years. I won't let anyone fix it while the key is there."
"Great," said Mark. "How are we supposed to get back into town without getting caught?"
She smiled kindly at Mark. "Through the tunnels of course. You already know your way around them pretty well, so it should be easy."
Again, Adam was surprised. How did she know they were in the tunnels?
She walked over to the jars and bottles and pulled a jar from the shelf. She opened it and pulled out some leaves. "Eat this and you shouldn’t fall asleep if you come in contact with the gas…I’m pretty sure…"
They each took a leaf and hesitated. Adam was the first to put it into his mouth and the others watched him as he began to chew. The look on Adam's face told the others that the leaf was far from pleasant.
"It's extremely bitter,” said Elianora.
Jimmy and Kevin popped the leaf into their mouths and started chewing. Mark hesitated, and then finally followed the others lead. He had the worst reaction of all, mainly for dramatic effect.
"Does Larix know about the tunnels?" asked Jimmy after getting over the taste.
"Yes, but not these ones in particular. Each site was built differently, and these tunnels are just a way of moving around easier without being seen. We tried to make these ones confusing, but you seemed to get around in them easy enough. Larix and his men aren't in the tunnels yet, but it won't be long until they are. You'll need to get the key quickly and get back here." She walked over to the other side of the cave and searched through some books. She found a piece of paper and handed it to Adam.
"Study this map carefully. It shows all of the tunnels that are available to use. You haven't gone to the school yet, or into the Fire Hall. If you have to go into the Fire Hall, the key code for the alarm is 2053. As you can see, there is a tunnel from the school to my house. It comes out in my shed. The tunnel that leads to Town Hall is in the barn."
Adam noted the tunnel leading to the school.
"How do we get up to the clock tower?" asked Mark.
Jimmy answered, "As far as I know, the only way is in Jeff's office. There's a ladder built into the wall that leads up to the attic."
Elianora nodded.
"That's gotta be 15 feet straight up," said Mark, not too happy with the knowledge.
"I don't think we all need to go get the key," said Adam. "I'll go by myself. The less people involved, the less likely we'll get caught."
"I think we should come and at least be lookouts for you," said Kevin.
"I'm fine with staying here," said Mark. Jimmy nodded his head in agreement with Mark.
"Adam is right," said Elianora, "less people equals less chance of being discovered. I do think you need at least one person to keep watch for you, and I am pretty sure Kevin already volunteered."
Kevin smiled and nodded, as did Adam. Mark and Jimmy seemed happy that they could stay where it seemed safe.
"You two won't be sitting here sipping lemonade, though," said Elianora, "I need your help getting ready for when they return."
She walked over and selected another jar from the shelf, then grabbed a paint brush that was tucked behind. "Give me your shoes," she said to Kevin and Adam.
They looked at each other, shrugged, then handed them over. They would have been quieter going barefoot in the tunnels, but it wouldn't have been very comfortable to untrained feet.
Elianora opened the jar, coated the brush in the black substance inside and applied it to the bottom of the shoes. All watched in silence as she grabbed a small spray bottle from the shelf and sprayed a mist on the coating. She fanned her hands over the base of the shoes, then handed them back.
"Put them on," she said, so they did.
"Jump up and down."
They jumped up and down lightly then harder. Whatever coating she put on the shoes cancelled out the sound of their feet hitting the ground. The only sound they made while jumping was the movement of their clothes.
"That's amazing!" said Mark, "Can you do mine?"
Elianora smiled, "It's called sealing. It seals the noises in and won’t let them out.” She looked to Mark, “Once those two leave I will seal yours and Jimmy's shoes."
She turned to Adam and Kevin. "That will keep you quiet when walking through the tunnels. Just beware of your breathing and clothes. Do you know how to light the tunnels?"
"Yes, but is there a way to turn it on without blinding ourselves," asked Kevin.
"Men - all the same," stated Elianora. "You have to turn the Lumiens on slowly. They are asleep until you start them up, but if you go too fast they send out a mean pulse of light. Just swipe slower in an upward motion. Too slow and they won't respond."
"So they are alive?" asked Mark.
"Yes, Mark, so treat them like living creatures. We've had them for a few centuries, although adapting them to this climate was a challenge." She paused, realizing she was getting off topic.
"Anyway, you need to get going. Follow me," she said and brushed past them hurrying toward the entrance.
As Adam turned to follow, he thought he saw a door behind the shelves filled with bottles. He hadn't seen any other tunnels on the map, so he decided it must be a storage area.
Up the stairs and out of the house they jogged, and soon they were at the entrance of the old bar
n. It was dark outside, like the light of a midday storm. Elianora opened the barn door with little effort and waved the boys through.
"You need to get to back here as soon as you can. Be quiet when you are in the attic. Your footsteps won't give you away, but those old creaking boards might. Go to the front. When you are near the clock mechanism, look up and to the left of the clock face. There's a wooden box there that is out of place. You'll need your dad's lapel pin to open it, just place it on the picture and slide it toward the center. If you slide it too far or not enough it won't open, so it'll take a few tries."
Adam was surprised. "How did you know I had the pin?"
Elianora replied, "Not important right now. You need to go." She pointed at the door. "Make sure you close the sliding doors gently behind you or you'll let everyone know you are there. Oh, and one last thing. When it looks like you are at a dead end in this tunnel, crouch down and use your hands to find the opening. It'll be on your lower right a few paces behind. It'll be the same when you return."
Adam remembered something. “How do we get into Town Hall from this side? The lock doesn’t work.”
Elianora smiled. “The lock sticks a little. Before you place the pin, pull the door closed tight with the handle.”
Adam felt bad because he should have thought of that.
Without another word, she ushered them through the door and slid it shut behind.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO