Keeper: Chapter 44

Chapter 44.


“Very strange stuff,” Jamie muttered to himself as he walked through the family parlor. He stepped into the hallway and was surprised to see a stack of books waiting on the hall table beside the brass calling card holder. Frowning, he reached for them. He picked up the top one off the stack. The cover was leather but it was showing no signs of age. The leather was smooth satin beneath his fingertips and the bold black letters of the title seemed burned into the leather like a brand rather than something typeset. He recognized the title as being one of the books he ordered. Jamie looked at the next one down on the stack and realized it too was on his list.



“I suppose the books were just delivered,” Jamie said. He wondered if Del had brought them in or if someone else had placed them there. He knew that House whisked calling cards that had been slipped under the door into the brass holder but the books looked a little heavy to do any whisking. “House,” Jamie asked.



“Yes Keeper?”



“How did these books get here?”



“You ordered them.”



“Does all mail come here?” he asked with a frown.



“Yes Keeper.”



“I see. Thank you.” Jamie picked up the stack. Apparently the coat rack and calling card holder was also a large scale mail box. “I wonder if it is on the fed ex approved list or if it is viewed as a post office box,” Jamie mused as he took his stack of books up the stairs and into the study. He placed them on the edge of the desk and sat down. Jamie glanced at the wall clock as he took his notebook out of the drawer. He had about two hours before his meeting with the representative of the Federan. He assumed the representative would be Terrell. Terrell would have one hour to explain his case and then he would leave. The representative of the Gederan would then have one hour to explain his version. He looked at his closed notebook and thought about both his dreams and the vision in the basement. Jamie reached for his journal, opened it to the next blank page and described the event for the record.



“Terrell seemed to be pushing for allowing both the Gederan and the Federan to use the space and the Keeper at the time seemed inclined to think that they had agreed to work together for a common cause.” Jamie wrote. “Having met Terrell, I find myself agreeing with the statement that Terrell would not willingly share power.” Jamie tapped the pen on the page, carefully avoiding the still wet ink. He stopped and drew a line down the center of the page. One side he titled, things I know and the other he titled things I need to know before making a decision.



“I know the Lune Merdos is a rite that raises power.” He added that to the things he knew column. Across from it he began to list questions.



“How much power would be first, I suppose,” he wrote down although he was not really certain he needed to know that. “Even a small lever can move a mountain,” he said aloud, repeating Albe’s favorite phrase. “So I guess I would need to know what the power would be used for and what effect that would have. It would also be nice to know if there were different powers for the daytime version of the rite then there wore for the nighttime one.” Jamie frowned. From Albe’s lessons and what he had learned so far, the job of the Keeper seemed to involve arbitrating disputes. “If one group can conduct the rite at night and one during the day then there is no dispute as they aren’t using it at the same time. Yet they were still trying to get the Keeper to make a decision.” Jamie thought about the scene in the basement. “What agreement was the Keeper talking about?” He wrote down the question. There were other questions but Jamie pushed them away for later. He put his pen down and set the notebook to the side, leaving it open so the ink could dry rather than because he had more notes to add. He reached for the book on top of the new stack and began to search for answers to his questions.

The two hours he had allotted before Terrell’s arrival flew past. Most of the information he gleaned in that time was information he already had but it was nice to have his dreams and random visions verified by a more concrete source. Jamie glanced at the clock and stood up to stretch. The book he was currently looking through actually dealt with the cross roads itself as well as the Keeper and was quite a fascinating read.



“Apparently the crossroads was the result of the agreement between humanity and the fey. I suppose we each have reasons to fear each other.” Jamie felt a small pop in his spine as he straightened. He had ten minutes until Terrell’s arrival and wondered if he should change clothes or head downstairs. Jamie sat back down in his chair, deciding against both options. Let Del show Terrell into the receiving room and wait while Del came to inform him.



“I think Terrell is a little too accustomed to having people jump for him.” Jamie looked at his list of questions. He realized he had actually answered a couple. The agreement was the formation of the crossroads to serve as a bulwark between the realms of the humans and the Fey and the answer to how much power was raised by the rite was a boat load.



“And there are separate strengths from the day and from the night that can be combined to form one giant-mega-super-colossal power. Making the ordinarily boatload look miniscule.” There was a soft knock on the open door and Jamie looked up. Del stood in the door frame.



“Lord Terrell is here to see you.” Del told him.



“Ah,” Jamie said standing. “Right on time.”



“I put him in the front parlor. Would you like me to bring a tea tray?”



“No,” Jamie said. “I think we will skip the hospitality this time.” Del lifted an eyebrow but didn’t comment. Jamie headed down to the parlor to see what the representative of the Federan had to say. He stepped in and smiled politely at Terrell. Terrell looked surprised by Jamie’s appearance.



“Did I come at the wrong time?” Terrell asked letting his eyes take in Jamie’s worn jeans and faded t-shirt.



“No I believe you are on time. Please take a seat,” Jamie said, gesturing to one of the guest chairs. Terrell walked to one and took his seat. He opened his mouth but before he could say anything, Jamie continued.



“The High Talbot explained the situation to you I take it?” Jamie said as he settled himself in his chair. “You have one hour in which to explain your need for the use of the Lustan. The representative from the Gederan will then be allowed one hour to present thier reasoning. Your hour has begun.” As expected, Terrell was somewhat thrown by this approach, expecting an entirely different scenario.



“Should I wait until your housekeeper has served tea?” Terrell asked somewhat stiffly. Jamie noticed his eyes darting around the room somewhat nervously.



“As you neither drank nor ate the last time you visited and I am not in the mood for tea I have asked Del not to bother. You may proceed with your case.” Jamie watched as Terrell blinked hard and he could practically see the gears spinning.



“I see,” Terrell began. “The Federan require the Lustan for the Lune Merdos.” Jamie placed his hands lightly on the arm rests of his chair and leaned back. He said nothing. Terrell shifted. The silence stretched. “It is our right.” Jamie still said nothing. Terrell frowned. “Have you no comment?”



“It is your hour to present your case. It is my place to listen. I will then afford the Gederan the same courtesy. Once I have listened to you both I will then make a determination.” Jamie once again fell silent as though ready and willing to listen to whatever Terrell chose to say.



“You aren’t even taking notes.” Terrell groused.



“I can remember what you say.”



“Well then as I said it is our right to use it. We use it at night. I know the Gederan use the Lustan for a daylight observance. We would be happy to share the space with them as long as they allowed us to conduct our evening ceremony.” Jamie noticed that Terrell avoided using the word rite. Terrell lapsed into silence. Jamie allowed it to drag out and Terrell began shifting in his chair.



“Is that the bulk of your case?” Jamie asked.



“Yes.”



“May I ask a few questions then?” Terrell seemed relieved.



“Of course Keeper. I would be happy to answer any of your questions.”



“When was the last Lune Merdos?”



“The Lune Merdos comes once but every few hundred years.” Terrell seemed at ease with the question as if the conversation had finally gotten back on track.



“And who used it last?”



“Last?” Terrell asked, stumbling over the question.



“Yes during the last Lune Merdos who used the Lustan?”



“Ah it is not a trade off sort of scenario,” Terrell said. “We do not alternate.”



“I did not ask if you alternated. I asked who used it last Lune Merdos.”



“I believe the Gederan used it last Lune Merdos.”



“Too bad it isn’t an alternate sort of situation then,” Jamie said. “It would only serve to benefit you then as you did not. Unless of course you used it after them. You did not share it at all?”



“No we did not share it.”



“Have you ever shared it?”



“You credit my memory too greatly Keeper. I cannot remember every Lune Merdos and the outcome at a moment’s notice.”



“But the last Lune Merdos was about two hundred years ago and the Gederan used it then?”



“Ah, yes Keeper that would be correct.” Jamie noticed that a small line of sweat had formed along Terrell’s hairline.



“And what was the outcome of their use?”



“I do not understand.”



“It is a simple question. What was the outcome of the Gederan’s use of the Lustan during the Lune Merdos?”



“I do not know.”



“The last time the Lune Merdos occurred was the night that the previous house of the keeper was destroyed wasn’t it?” Jamie was watching Terrell closely as he voiced his question and saw the blank look of surprise flit across his features. Somehow Jamie had the feeling that the power from the Lune Merdos rite had gone into the destruction. It seemed to be a recurring thought.



“Was it?” Terrell asked. “I’m afraid I wouldn’t know. I tend not to keep track of things of that nature as I rarely have need to visit the Keeper.”



“But you had visited him shortly before, just after the big ice storm to ask about his decision regarding the Lune Merdos.” Jamie kept it as a flat statement, refusing to make it a question.



“I suppose I must have. Amazing how you forget these things.” Terrell leaned back in his chair as though remembering. “Ah yes, I believe the Keeper at that time was planning to allow us to share the space. He thought it seemed fair that way. He was very much in favor of fair. In that sense he reminds me of you.”



“I am surprised. I thought you spent a great deal of time here.”



“Did you?”



“From the way you spoke of Albe as such a good friend...” Jamie let the sentence trail off.



“Ah you misunderstood me. I would often see Keeper Alberect...Albe as he was conducting his duties.”



“Of course,” Jamie replied with a smile. “What was your planned outcome?”



“Excuse me?”



“For the Lune Merdos. Last time I mean. When the Keeper was planning to allow you and the Gederan to share?”



“I am afraid I don’t remember.”



“So your planned outcome is not the same as last time?”



“I would not be able to say.”



“So what is your planned outcome for this Lune Merdos?” Jamie could see the jaw muscles in Terrell’s face clench. Whatever the Federan had planned, he did not want shared.



“That would be a matter for the priests.”



“I see.” Jamie said. “Is there anything else you feel that I need to know?”



“No, there isn’t.” The words were quite terse.



“Will you be sending a priest to me?”



“Of course not.”



“Then will you return once you have spoken to them about their plans?”



“I do not know if I will have the time.”



“Of course,” Jamie said with a smile. “Then if you have nothing else to add, I should not keep you.”



“Yes, well then,” Terrell said rising. “I shall leave you to your day.” Jamie stood and walked Terrell to the door.



“Oh by the way,” Jamie asked as he opened the door for Terrell. “Are the Brotherhood of Shadows involved directly or just as periphery proponents?” Terrell’s eyes went wide. But he covered quickly.



“I’m certain I have no idea.” Terrell swept out before Jamie could make a further comment.



“Well that was fun,” Jamie said. “I wonder if the Gederan will react the same way?”