some larger sheet of paper, with a pen strokes scrawled on it. He handed it across to her.
She took it in her fingertips and stared at it for a long time.
“What is this?” she said softly. “Where did you get it?”
“It’s something Peacock touched,” Ryan said. “That’s what you asked for.”
She stared down at it, rubbing it between her fingers, and then held it up to the light, examining the few visible pen strokes. She was breathing heavily, obviously agitated.
Todd looked at her in concern. “Violet?” he asked, “Are you alright,”
“No,” she said softly. “I am not alright. I’ve never held anything like that before.”
“It’s just a piece of paper.” Ryan said.
“It has no history,” she said. “It’s old, but it has no history. I sense the touch of your friend, Peacock, but before that, nothing. There is a barrier. A barrier!” Her voice trailed away. They all sat in silence. “A gate,” she said at last. “It’s come through a gate and time stands still.”
Ryan looked around at Mandretti and Todd who continued to stare at her in concern. He had to assume that she was either a great performer, or she was genuinely baffled by that little scrap of paper which she continued to grip in her fingertips.
“A portal,” she said, “from another place. This paper has no history here.“
She shook her head again. “No,” she said, “I’m wrong. It has history, but I can’t read it, because I’ve never been through the gate.”
“What gate?” Ryan asked.
“I don’t know.” She thrust the paper back into his hand. “I can’t tell you anything,” she said.
“What gate?” Ryan asked again.
Violet glared at him. “Not now,” she said. “Not yet.”
“You saw something,” Mandretti said.
“Yes,” said Violet, “but what I saw is impossible. It speaks of something outside of this world, outside of time. Something that cannot be.”
She lowered her head and her blue back curls fell across her face hiding her expression. Ryan listened to the rustling of the breeze through the bushes and the distant lonely calling of seabirds. Time seemed to stand still.
Mandretti broke the long silence. “I guess you ain’t gonna find it,” he said.
“She’ll find it,” Todd said determinedly. “She needs the money.”
“Todd,” Violet hissed angrily.
“I’m just speaking the truth,” said Todd.
Violet lifted her head and flung back her curls. “He’s right of course,” she said, “maintaining this lifestyle does take a great deal of money.”
“Forget about the paper,” said Todd, who seemed to be stepping far outside his employee status. “Give her the goblet.”
Mandretti set the goblet in Violet’s lap. Just as she had done with the paper, she touched it with the fingertips of her right hand. This time she smiled and nodded. “This one I understand,” she said.
She closed her eyes and her long dark lashes fanned out against her pale skin. Ryan had time to ponder whether or not they were fake lashes before she finally leaned back in her chair and sighed.
“Is it coming?” Mandretti asked.
Todd motioned him into silence. Violet sighed again. Ryan raised his cynical eyebrows to the heavens and waited.
CHAPTER THREE
“A cold wind sweeps across the bleak marshes that border the North Sea,” said Violet. “The short winter afternoon draws to an end. The sun sets behind leafless, stunted trees. It will be dark soon and there will be no light of human habitation. Not even the lowest peasant would dare to build a hut on the shifting sands of the Wash.”
“Where are you Violet?” Todd asked.
“With the King’s
She took it in her fingertips and stared at it for a long time.
“What is this?” she said softly. “Where did you get it?”
“It’s something Peacock touched,” Ryan said. “That’s what you asked for.”
She stared down at it, rubbing it between her fingers, and then held it up to the light, examining the few visible pen strokes. She was breathing heavily, obviously agitated.
Todd looked at her in concern. “Violet?” he asked, “Are you alright,”
“No,” she said softly. “I am not alright. I’ve never held anything like that before.”
“It’s just a piece of paper.” Ryan said.
“It has no history,” she said. “It’s old, but it has no history. I sense the touch of your friend, Peacock, but before that, nothing. There is a barrier. A barrier!” Her voice trailed away. They all sat in silence. “A gate,” she said at last. “It’s come through a gate and time stands still.”
Ryan looked around at Mandretti and Todd who continued to stare at her in concern. He had to assume that she was either a great performer, or she was genuinely baffled by that little scrap of paper which she continued to grip in her fingertips.
“A portal,” she said, “from another place. This paper has no history here.“
She shook her head again. “No,” she said, “I’m wrong. It has history, but I can’t read it, because I’ve never been through the gate.”
“What gate?” Ryan asked.
“I don’t know.” She thrust the paper back into his hand. “I can’t tell you anything,” she said.
“What gate?” Ryan asked again.
Violet glared at him. “Not now,” she said. “Not yet.”
“You saw something,” Mandretti said.
“Yes,” said Violet, “but what I saw is impossible. It speaks of something outside of this world, outside of time. Something that cannot be.”
She lowered her head and her blue back curls fell across her face hiding her expression. Ryan listened to the rustling of the breeze through the bushes and the distant lonely calling of seabirds. Time seemed to stand still.
Mandretti broke the long silence. “I guess you ain’t gonna find it,” he said.
“She’ll find it,” Todd said determinedly. “She needs the money.”
“Todd,” Violet hissed angrily.
“I’m just speaking the truth,” said Todd.
Violet lifted her head and flung back her curls. “He’s right of course,” she said, “maintaining this lifestyle does take a great deal of money.”
“Forget about the paper,” said Todd, who seemed to be stepping far outside his employee status. “Give her the goblet.”
Mandretti set the goblet in Violet’s lap. Just as she had done with the paper, she touched it with the fingertips of her right hand. This time she smiled and nodded. “This one I understand,” she said.
She closed her eyes and her long dark lashes fanned out against her pale skin. Ryan had time to ponder whether or not they were fake lashes before she finally leaned back in her chair and sighed.
“Is it coming?” Mandretti asked.
Todd motioned him into silence. Violet sighed again. Ryan raised his cynical eyebrows to the heavens and waited.
CHAPTER THREE
“A cold wind sweeps across the bleak marshes that border the North Sea,” said Violet. “The short winter afternoon draws to an end. The sun sets behind leafless, stunted trees. It will be dark soon and there will be no light of human habitation. Not even the lowest peasant would dare to build a hut on the shifting sands of the Wash.”
“Where are you Violet?” Todd asked.
“With the King’s
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