Keeper 2: Chapter 11

Chapter 11

 

At Del’s insistence, Jamie smeared antibacterial ointment on the worst of his scratches before heading upstairs. In no mood to read, Jamie took a long hot shower.  Afterwards he felt guilty about the shower washing off the ointment Del had insisted upon and reapplied it. As he dried his hair with the towel, Jamie thought about Michael.

At Albe’s funeral he had looked tired and drawn. “Like he was just coming out of a long illness,” he muttered as he hung his damp towel up to dry. Tonight there had been little light but Michael had looked to Jamie’s eyes at least, less drawn and ill and more manic.

“And he was looking for something or someone,” Jamie reminded himself.  He replayed the details over in a continuous loop as he prepared for bed and slipped between the sheets. “I think it might have been a something rather than a someone,” he decided as he closed his eyes. As he started to drift off, he wondered if anything in his dreams would help him.

Jamie awoke to a watery sort of light. He glanced at the clock and realized he had slept through the night without dreaming. He sighed as he sat up. “Perhaps my meeting with the queen will be more fruitful,” he muttered.  Jamie rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and chuckled a little at the absurdity of his taking tea with any sort of queen.

“Well maybe a drag queen,” he thought remembering his friend Charlie who now did a stage show in a club in Denerton. “Although I don’t know if he drinks tea.” Figuring he would be meeting with Levas and then leaving directly for town, Jamie decided to get dressed. Instead of jeans and a long sleeved t-shirt however, he slipped on dress slacks and a white oxford shirt.  He looked out of the window and shivered as he heard the morning’s rain hit the window glass.  It sounded like it had ice around the edges.

“Won’t that be fun,” Jamie thought, wishing he hadn’t agreed to leave his nice warm house. He pulled one of the dark gray sweaters that had magically appeared in his dresser out of the drawer and slipped it on over his shirt.  He looked in the mirror and though he looked presentable enough.  When he joined Del in the kitchen for breakfast, the brownie smiled at his outfit but said nothing.

At quarter past eight Hose informed him that Levas had arrived on the porch. Del smiled as Jamie glanced at the clock.

“Mid-morning for a tomte,” Del said with a laugh as he went to let Levas in. Jamie listened to the thumping arrival and heard voices as Del escorted Levas into the parlor.  When Del returned to the kitchen to prepare a tea tray, Jamie left and went to join his visitor in the parlor. In the hallway he saw a blue-gray rain slicker and matching hat had been hung up to dry.  Below them were placed a set of rain boots.  They were the kind meant to fit over a set of shoes so Jamie didn’t think his visitor was wondering around in his socks.

“Although that would be appropriate here,” he thought.

Jamie walked into the parlor and found the tomte staring out of the window at the icy rain. “Good morning,” Jamie said. The tomte turned and Jamie found himself somewhat surprised that he looked exactly like his picture in Alexander’s Field Guide.

“Good morning Keeper,” the tomte replied. Jamie indicated the chairs and walked over to one of them while Levas took the other. The tomte was slightly shorter than tell but seemed a little stockier.  While he wore plain gray brown work clothes, they looked as though they had been cleaned and pressed for this meeting.

“My apologies for not inviting you sooner,” Jamie began. “I saw the card when I arrived however things were a bit unsettled at the time.”

The tomte chuckled and settled himself in the chair as Del wheeled the tea cart into the room. “No offense taken Keeper. That was a nasty bit of business to get through.” There was a short but comfortable silence as they each fixed a cup of tea.  Levas picked up one of the oatmeal cookies from the offered trays and sniffed it before crunching into the morsel.  In three quick bites it was gone.

“Now, is there anything I can help you with?” Jamie asked. Somehow he didn’t think the tomte had shown up just for a cookie and a chat.

“Direct, I like that,” Levas said.  He took a deep sip of his tea to wash down the cookie. “I don’t know how much you know about me,” he began.  “But a while ago I spent some time here.”

Jamie nodded. “During alexander Fulton’s tenure as Keeper I believe?” He replied.

Levas lifted an eyebrow in surprise. “That is correct. I know it will take a while to get back up to full working order here, and truth be told you won’t need everything up and running right away.  It will take a little time before it gets to that point, however it will soon be more than your housekeeper, good as he no doubt is, can handle alone. Additionally, if things are set into motion now so when you need them they will be here.”

The little man pause and took a sip of his tea while Jamie tried to puzzle meaning from the words.

“Now, as I helped set things up before, I figured I’d offer my services to you in setting them up again.” Levas nodded as though punctuating his thought.

“You are offering to help reestablish this as a working farm?” Jamie asked, making certain that he was interpreting the tomte’s comments correctly.

“Not a full one, at least not at first. The orchards are in good repair and you have no need of commercial crops. However the barn and such will need repairing before they can be used. I’m sure the dairy will need work as well.”

“That sounds like an awful lot of work,” Jamie said hesitantly.

“Hard work never hurt anyone,” Levas told him with a grin. “Besides, you’ll be needing it. Things will be getting quite busy around here. Best to get the heavy work done before then,” He tapped the side of his nose and then drained the last of his tea.

“This is true,” Jamie said. He wondered if Levas was trying to escape the political upheaval on the other side of the crossroads. He thought of the half tumbled down barn that seemed to loom at the edge of the woods. “And they do need repair,” he continued.  Jamie thought of the ad hoc lab that had been set up in one of the out buildings.  If the buildings were repaired, they could be secured and no longer used as experimental laboratories. The thought decided him.

“I think that is an excellent idea,” Jamie said, noticing the slight easing of tension in Levas’ shoulders. “Although I do need to warn you, there might be some un pleasant surprises.”  Levas frowned as Jamie told him of the chemical vat he and Del had found.

“Nasty business,” Levas said. “I’ll be sure to let you know if I come upon anything like that.  We certainly can’t have that type of thing around.  Especially not with the children.”

“Children?” Jamie repeated. Levas tapped his nose again and winked at Jamie.

“No time like the present to get started,” Levas told him.  Jamie glanced out of the window. He thought there might be snow mixed in with what he was now certain was sleet and not rain.

“Why don’t you meet with Del and let him help you get settled first,” Jamie suggested.  “I think today might be a planning in the kitchen over tea kind of day rather than a work outside one.”

 

“I suppose I could wait to survey the current conditions when the light is better,” Levas told him.  The tomte stood up and nodded to Jamie. “I’ll just take this back to the kitchen and have a chat with your housekeeper then.” Before Jamie could say anything the little man trotted out of the parlor, pushing the tea trolley ahead of him.

“I wonder how much busier he thinks it’s going to get around her,” Jamie thought shaking his head and wondering if tomtes could see into the future.  “Children?” he repeated to himself. “First the wall and now the tomte.” He drank the last of his tea and stood, planning to drop the cup off in the kitchen before leaving for town. “As long as House doesn’t start signing me up for a dating service I should be fine,” he decided.