Keeping her head against the window, Bonnie waved back.
The girl flashed a gap-toothed smile. “Do you want to be my friend?”
Bonnie nodded, her lips still tight.
“My name is Carly.” She patted the seat next to her. “You can sit by me if you want to.”
Bonnie glanced at the driver, then hopped across the aisle. “I’m Bonnie,” she said as she slid in next to her new friend.
Carly pointed at Bonnie’s lunch box and whispered. “I watch Winnie the Pooh. Tigger’s my favorite.”
“Me, too!” Bonnie smiled and bounced in her seat. “Can you tell?”
Carly pulled a lunch box from under her shoes. A bouncing Tigger decorated the front and back. “Shhh!” She glanced toward the rear. “Don’t tell those boys.”
“Who cares what they think?” Bonnie looped her arm around Carly’s. “As long as we stick together.”
“Yeah,” Carly said, tightening their clutch. “Who cares what they think?”
Gabriel floated close to the two girls. As they chatted happily, it seemed as though the gentle power of pure love streamed into his energy field, strengthening him with every second. What a perfect assignment! Being with this little angel would be like heaven itself.
As the bus rolled to a stop, Gabriel surveyed the passersby on the sidewalk. It was time to go to work. His duty had transformed from a chore to a labor of love. No one would dare lay a finger on Bonnie, not if he could help it. This time, he would not fail.
Sapphira sat with her arms wrapped around her legs. Since Gabriel awakened and emerged from the candlestone after all those years, she finally had something to watch. With the viewing screen dark for so long, she had barely noticed it after a while, just glancing at it from time to time as she pored over her finger-worn books. Now, the new adventures that flashed before her eyes awakened her imagination and filled her with new hope.
As Bonnie and Carly laughed together, Sapphira smiled. What a sweet little girl! She seemed to dance through life like a waltzing flower. Even after enduring the nasty glares and verbal barbs, her faith in love and kindness seemed unearthly.
Sapphira wiped a tear from her cheek. Bonnie Conner was definitely worth watching.
Gabriel peered into Bonnie’s bedroom and spied her sitting in the midst of a circle of rag dolls. Good. She had finished changing into her nightgown. He breezed in and sat in front of her. As she dressed one of the dolls for bed, he let his gaze wander. On the walls, hand-painted pastel balloons floated in the midst of a pale pink sky, and bright green grass near the floor partially hid a mouse, a rabbit, and, peeking out from behind a bookshelf, a wide-eyed raccoon. A Tigger blanket covered a youth bed in one corner, and a white three-drawer dresser filled the opposite corner, but most of the room seemed dedicated to a host of small, handmade Raggedy-Ann-and-Andy-type dolls.
Sitting cross-legged, Bonnie set one doll on each knee, animating the one on her right with a gentle shake. “Carly,” she said, her voice pitching high, “You’re my best friend.” She gave the other doll a shake. “And you’re mine, too, Bonnie.”
As Bonnie continued playacting with her dolls, Gabriel focused on a new pair of voices filtering into the room in hushed tones. The name Carly, however, came through clearly.
Bonnie’s head perked up. She leaned over and pulled the door fully open, and the voices clarified.
“Well,” a man said, “I’m glad to hear she found a friend, but I have work to do and ”
“Wait,” came a woman’s reply. “There’s something else. Remember those growths I called you about?”
“Yes. Did you figure out what they are?”
“When she got home, I studied them carefully. They have scales.”
“Scales? Like dry skin scales?”
“No. Like armor scales. And there are two sharp points that remind me of claw hooks.”
Bonnie tightened her grip on her two dolls and leaned closer to the door. The few seconds of silence seemed to last an hour. Finally, the man blurted out, “Wings? We can’t have a daughter with wings!”
“Shhh! Not so loud! We have what we have, and there’s no way to change it.”
“But,” the man continued, “we won’t be able to show our faces in public, not with a mutant for a daughter!”
“She’s not a mutant. You understand genetics well enough to know that.”
“Then she’s a freak, a freak of nature. No human has ever grown wings before. We’ll have to ”
The conversation stopped. Heavy footsteps pounded in the hallway. Irene leaned into the bedroom.
“Mama!” Bonnie cried. “Why did Daddy say ”
Irene raised a finger to her lips. “We’ll talk in a few minutes.” She gave Bonnie a brief tight-lipped smile, and closed the door. The footsteps, quieter now, retreated.
Bonnie stared at the door, her mouth open and tears streaming down her cheeks. Covering her face with her dolls, she drew her knees up to her chest and wept. As she rocked back and forth, her head bobbed, and tiny, shrill cries seeped between her two raggedy friends.
Gabriel tried to cover her with his wings and lay an arm over her shoulders, but it was useless. She couldn’t feel the slightest bit of reassurance from an invisible, massless comforter.
He straightened to his full height and spread his wings as he gazed upward. “What can I do?” he called out in his electrostatic voice. “If you want me to guard her, at least let me do my job! I know exactly how she feels! I can help her!”
He looked at Bonnie and yelled as loud as he could. “Bonnie! Can you hear me?”
Bonnie’s red, tear-stained face peeked out. Her eyes widened. She laid her palms on the floor and slid back toward the wall, trembling.
Gabriel lowered his voice slightly. “Don’t be afraid,” he said, holding out his hand. “I won’t hurt you.”
Bonnie swallowed. “Who . . . who are you?”
“My name is Gabriel.”
“Gabriel?” Bonnie pointed at her bookshelf. “Like the angel in the Bible?”
Gabriel noted a child-sized Bible lying on top of the shelf. How should he answer? He certainly didn’t want to lie. He took a half step closer. “What do I look like to you?”
Bonnie wiggled her fingers. “Like a sparkly ghost with wings. I can see right through you.”
“It’s fair to say that I am like a guardian angel, for I have been assigned to watch over you.”
“Why?” Bonnie pointed at herself. “I’m not important.”
“You are far more important than you realize. You heard about your wings, didn’t you?”
Bonnie’s eyes teared up again. “Daddy said I’m a freak.”
“Look at me.” Gabriel flapped his wings. “Do you think I’m a freak?”
“No.” Bonnie wiped a tear with her finger. “But you’re an angel.”
Gabriel knelt next to her and caressed her hair with his hand. “And so are you, the sweetest angel I have ever met.”
Bonnie raised her hand and set it on Gabriel’s arm. “I can’t feel you at all.”
“No, and you couldn’t see me earlier, even though I was with you all day.”
“All day?” Bonnie sniffed and smiled. “Really?”
“Yes, I saw that sour bus driver and those mean boys, but I also saw your new friend Carly and her Tigger lunch box.”
Bonnie took in a quick breath. “You really were there!”
“And I will stay with you as long as I can. Even if you can’t see me or hear me, I’ll be there.”
Bonnie drew back her hand. “You’re disappearing! Don’t go!”
“I won’t go. I’ll stay here all night.”
“I can barely hear you now.”
“Then hurry to bed, and I’ll sing you to sleep.”
“Oh, please do!” Bonnie jumped up and turned off her light, then, throwing back her blanket, she nestl
ed into her bed. “I’m ready!” Her eyes darted around. “But I can’t see you anymore.”
Gabriel knelt at her bedside. “Can you still hear me?”
“Yes, but like a whisper.”
“Okay. Close your eyes. I’ll sing as loud as I can.”
Bonnie closed her eyes tightly and drew her blanket up to her chin. Her delicate lashes still sparkled with leftover tears.
Gabriel stroked her hair again and sang.
Whither shall I go from thy spirit?
Or whither shall I flee from thy presence?
If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there:
If I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.
Bonnie smiled. Her eyelids began to relax, and she sighed deeply.
If I take the wings of the morning,
and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;
Even there shall thy hand lead me,
and thy right hand shall hold me.
If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me;
even the night shall be light about me.
Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee;
but the night shineth as the day:
The darkness and the light are both alike to thee.
As light from the window faded, Bonnie opened her eyes again. “Are you still here?”
“Yes, I’m still here.”
“Gabriel?” She reached out her hand. “Are you here?”
“Yes, sweet angel,” Gabriel said, laying his hand on hers. “Can’t you hear me?”
Bonnie’s eyes darted around again. “Gabriel?”
Gabriel tried to hold her hand, but his fingers passed right through hers. “I won’t leave you, Bonnie. I would give my life to protect you.”
Bonnie straightened out the wrinkles on her blanket and laid her arms on top. “Gabriel, I guess I can’t hear you anymore, but you said you’d stay with me, so I know you must be here.” She closed her eyes again and smiled. “Angels never lie.”
November, 2002
Elam carried a lantern through the corridor that led to the ancient chamber. He glanced back at the man walking behind him, a tall, older gentleman who had to duck to make his way under the low ceiling. It had been hundreds of years since he had seen Merlin, but this new arrival looked so much like the old prophet, it was frightening.
“Almost there, Professor Hamilton,” Elam said. “The ceiling gets higher in a few seconds.”
“It’s quite all right, my good fellow. The anticipated meeting is well worth such trivial unpleasantries.”
When Elam passed the final doorway, light from within the chamber washed out his lantern, so he lifted the glass and blew out the flame. Beside him, Professor Hamilton ran his fingers through his wild, gray hair. “Remarkable!” he said, gazing all around.
Elam smiled. “You ain’t seen nothin’ yet.”
A voice beckoned from the far end of the chamber. “Charles! Welcome!” Patrick waved at them from the round table in the back. “Come here and join us.”
Elam led Charles over the compass design on the floor in the center of the room. “The table used to be here,” Elam said. “I’m not sure why they moved it.”
Professor Hamilton slowed his pace as he passed over the design. His eyes locked on one of the sketches. “Astounding!”
When they reached Patrick, Elam stopped for a moment to allow his eyes to adjust. Three bright lanterns formed a triangle at the center of the table, illuminating Patrick’s face and the faces of four other men. Their eyes followed Charles as he drew close to one of two empty spaces.
Patrick nodded at the chair. “Please sit, my friend.”
Elam strode to Patrick’s side, taking his place as the oldest errand boy who ever lived.
Professor Hamilton slid out the chair and cleared his throat. “May I say, Sir Patrick, that I am honored by your selection of me as a new member of this distinguished body, and ”
“Oh, cut the squash!” one of the men boomed. He then laughed and patted the man next to him on the back. “We’re about as distinguished as rubber socks! Aren’t we, Kaplan?”
Kaplan glared at him. “Rubber socks? What’s the connection?”
“Nobody knows we exist!” The man burst out with a series of belly laughs.
“I know rubber socks exist,” a third man protested.
“Quiet!” Patrick raised his hand. “Let’s not give our new designate the wrong impression.”
Kaplan drummed his fingers. “It seems to me that he is getting exactly the right impression. All we ever do in our meetings is crack jokes and tell tall tales. When McCorkle died, maybe we should have just propped up his body in his chair, then we wouldn’t have needed a replacement.”
The first man piped up again. “McCorkle’s corpse would be funnier than he ever was. That’s for certain.”
“The point is,” Kaplan continued, “that waiting for Arthur’s heir to arrive has been like sitting in the maternity ward waiting for fifteen hundred years of labor to finally end. It’s no wonder we expectant fathers are getting a bit punchy.”
“Fathers?” the first man rejoined. “I feel like the poor mother!”
Patrick rapped his knuckles on the table. “Gentlemen! Please!”
The men murmured for a few seconds, and when all was quiet, Patrick again gestured for Charles to sit.
Professor Hamilton nodded and sat down. “Thank you, Sir Patrick.”
Patrick folded his hands. “Since we consider ourselves equals, Charles, we normally dispense with titles that indicate superiority. I realize my knighthood is significant to you, but I am merely called Steward. You will learn the others’ titles in due time.”
“Very well. What shall I be called?”
Elam leaned over and whispered in Patrick’s ear. “Merlin.”
Patrick’s face brightened. “Of course. Merlin!”
“Merlin?” Professor Hamilton repeated. “Why Merlin?”
Patrick glanced at Elam but quickly returned his gaze to Professor Hamilton. “It seems to me that you are as gifted in spiritual matters as anyone I know. Your heart for God reflects the legends of the great prophet of old.”
Professor Hamilton’s face flushed. “I am grateful for your confidence in me,” he said, fidgeting in his chair.
“Merlin,” Patrick continued. “As you know, we are the protectorate of the Arthur legacy, and we wish to make his heir’s ascendancy to the throne an easy path. Since you are the newest member, it is your privilege to investigate the latest report of a possible heir and either verify or falsify his pedigree.”
Professor Hamilton bowed his head. “I am honored.”
“Not if he sends you to Alaska,” Kaplan said. “That’s where I went on my wild goose chase when I joined.”
Patrick rapped his knuckles again. “Not Alaska, but you will have to visit the States West Virginia, to be precise.”
“Very well.” Professor Hamilton folded his hands and nodded. “What information do you have?”
Patrick withdrew a small map from his jacket and spread it out on the table. “Our intelligence is based on the movements of our enemies, and one of their prominent agents has set up residence in Castlewood, West Virginia.” He pointed at a spot on the map. “Our spy believes the agent is seeking information about a young person, perhaps a pre-teen or teenager.”
Leaning close, Professor Hamilton touched the edge of the map. “Then securing a position at a local school would be an optimum plan of action. My credentials should suffice.”
Patrick touched a ring on the professor’s finger. “The officials might wonder why an Oxford professor would want to teach there, so you should prepare a convincing explanation.”
Elam edged to the table and tried to read the emblem on the bejeweled gold band. It appeared to be etched with Latin words signifying the professor’s achievement in college Philosophiæ Doctor
.
“I would simply tell the truth,” Professor Hamilton said. “I have always been interested in Arthurian legend, especially the stories surrounding Excalibur, and my research has led me to Castlewood. I doubt that anyone would question me beyond that.”
“True enough, I suppose.” Patrick folded the map and returned it to his jacket. “If you find the heir, and you are convinced of his authenticity, bring him back to me. There is a test he must pass to prove that he is worthy in mind, body, and spirit. I won’t divulge the nature of the test at this time so that you can honestly say you don’t know what it is.”
Professor Hamilton withdrew a pocket calendar and opened it to the current date. “Is there a suggested timetable?”
“You are to leave immediately and bring him back as soon as you have him in hand. Since our opposition seeks to thwart Arthur’s return, their agent will not have the heir’s best interests in mind.”
Kaplan stood at his place. “Merlin, all jesting aside, I, for one, welcome you with open arms. Our jocularity has no real reflection on our sincere wish to fill our empty chair with the one true king. If you should find him, we are willing to lay down our lives to assure his ascendancy.”
“So say we all!” the first man shouted, now standing next to Kaplan.
The other two men stood with them. “Hear, hear!”
Patrick slowly rose to his feet and nodded at Professor Hamilton. “What say you, my old friend?”
Professor Hamilton slid back his chair and stood with the rest. “If Arthur’s heir is in West Virginia, then I will not rest until I bring him to this very room.”
Chapter 9
Blood and Light
December 30, 2002
Gabriel followed Bonnie as she tiptoed down the stairs. When she neared the bottom, she peered over the banister, her hiking backpack shifting with the movement of her hidden wings. With no one in sight, she skulked toward the front door.
All was quiet. Gabriel zoomed down the hall to the laboratory and sneaked a look through the open doorway. Just as Bonnie had feared, Dr. Conner sat at a table next to a collection of glass vials and a set of hypodermic needles. He marked one of the vials with a Sharpie, then scratched down an entry in a logbook. Gabriel glided back to Bonnie and mentally shoved her toward the exit. Maybe she would be able to get away before her father had a chance to find her.