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Episode 33    Part 2

“My God!”   Mary cried out in surprise.  “That’s what I saw!

   “It would seem so.  Both of you described the image pretty much the same.”  Laurie agreed.

   “So what happened to him?” 

   Mary was once again beside herself with excitement as Peter James’s story unfolded into her wide open ears, while Malena and Frank, who had never heard this story before, were equally intrigued.

   “The next thing he knew was waking up, his body lying prone on a bed, and in a different room.  As his vision slowly cleared, and the room began to come more and more into focus, he was equally pleased, and surprised, by the sight of the pretty young woman who was gently pressing a moist towel against his forehead.  Her eyes lit up into a beautiful, excited smile when they met with his and for a moment their eyes locked – not a word was spoken, but inside his head Peter knew something connected them. 

   Then he became distracted as a noise emerged from somewhere in the room and he searched with his eyes for its source.  Eventually, in the strangeness of the room, he could make out the shape of his host standing on the other side of the room.    

   Ishmati appeared to be in earnest conversation with an older man who Peter didn’t recognise.   As soon as the men realized that Peter was awake they rushed to his side. 

   Dismissing the young girl for the moment, his host asked him how he felt, but before a reply could be given, Ishmati introduced the other man as Doctor Tanshuni.    Peter tried to reach out to shake Doctor Tanshuni’s hand, but found the effort to be too much for him to handle.

   ‘Just you rest.’ Doctor Tanshuni instructed as he pulled out a vial from a bag sitting at the base of the bed and poured the contents, a dark green liquid, into a glass to which he added some water from a jar that the young woman handed to him.   ‘Drink this, young man. We will soon have you better.’

   Peter was dubious about drinking the foul looking liquid, but he had no idea what had happened to him, and as his memory of the last image that he had seen had not yet returned to him, he took the medicine without further reservation. 

   The impact was immediate.  Within less than a minute Peter could feel the natural flow of energy running through his body, and he found himself wanting to sit up – and not only was he able to sit up, but he also found himself capable of standing upright on his own two feet.   The lethargic feeling that had encumbered him only minutes earlier was now a thing of the past.  He could not remember when he had ever felt this good within, and about, himself.  His senses were sharper and clearer, and he felt himself to be far more relaxed than he had ever known himself to be.   Peter felt like a new man   Strangely though, he had forgotten the reason for his visit, however his host suggested that perhaps it had been to visit his daughter, Sharina, and when Peter again looked into the young girl’s, beautiful, dark brown eyes, he was smitten beyond reason. 

   He agreed that must have been the reason, and so strong were his feelings for her by that stage that he never even questioned what had happened to him for him to be lying on that bed.   Instead, he found himself walking out of the house and into the garden, arm in arm with this young woman who ended up his wife several years later.

********

“That was a different way of meeting your true love,” Mary smiled.  “I wish that was how my day was going to end.   But that is most likely not going to happen … so don’t get any ideas, Frank.”

   “Don’t worry, I wont.,” Frank replied, a large smile on his face.

   “Ah, but that is not the end of the story,” Laurie exclaimed,   “Do you remember how I said that he was not a studious person?”

   “Yes.”

   “Well, for some reason, ever since he had that strange fainting spell, he found himself able to study with ease.  He flew through his exams and graduated with honours, even becoming dux of his course.   He never questioned this change in himself.   Nor did he question the reason for his sudden interest in Sharina on the day that he first met her.  And nor did he question how easily he accepted the offer to become Doctor Tanshuni’s partner in his surgery once he had received his license to practice instead of taking one of the lucrative offers than had came from both public and private hospital practices in London and surrounding areas.   Indeed, his fellow students, and those that had chased after his services, were very surprised that he settled for a reasonably attractive offer from a private practice when he could have accepted a much greater income and so much prestige.   To them it was a waste of great talent.   But, of course,  what nobody else knew was that this particular practice included his in-laws and their friends as permanent patients.   To Peter’s way of thinking, it all seemed so natural that he felt things had always been meant to be this way. 

   That is, until the day his in-laws suddenly died!   Their deaths, exactly one year after his marriage, were under mysterious circumstances, but strange as the circumstances may have seemed to Peter … no questions were asked by any of their friends.  Their deaths were accepted by them all as if it was a completely accidental event, a sad occasion perhaps, but an accident never-the-less.   It concerned Peter somewhat, for he had questions that he needed to ask to settle his own mind, but he had no one to ask that he felt would provide the answers truthfully, so he kept his thoughts to himself.   He never discussed his thoughts and concerns with his wife, preferring instead to do his best to console her in her distress, and she seemed to be coping well enough under the circumstances.

   But it was in the evening of the day of the funeral, after they had retired to bed, that Peter’s troubles began.   As it happens sometimes during times of stress, Peter had began to feel unsolicited feelings surging through his body as they lay on the bed, their bodies closely entwined in an expression of solitude at her grief.   Sensing Peter’s unplanned intentions she denied him and Peter immediately apologised for his lack of thought … telling her the feeling had arrived unexpectedly and he wasn’t thinking straight.   Sharina rolled over and gave him a weak smile, placing her arms around him and giving him a kiss on the forehead before placing her head on his chest as she settled herself down for sleep, and they remained in that position until they awoke the following morning.

********

   As the light that came with the new day drifted slowly into the room it soon began to shine its increasing strength onto their closed eyes until, within a second of each other, they both woke up.    Sharina gave Peter a loving smile as they untangled themselves and nothing was mentioned in relation to the previous night.   To Peter’s way of thinking Sharina had appeared to be back to herself.   She had seemed happy enough when she gave him a quick cuddle and a kiss on the lips before jumping out of bed and heading towards the kitchen to make breakfast while he got dressed for work, and he felt there was nothing to gain by apologising again and pushed the memory of his inconsiderate actions out of his mind.

********

   Sharina had appeared in good humour as she waved goodbye to him as he left for the surgery, and later, when Peter arrived back home in the evening, Sharina still seemed to be her normal self, but perhaps just a little distracted.   When he asked how her day had been she answered, but there was not much vigour in her words as she spoke.   Normally she was very chatty about the events of her day and he normally did not have to prise anything out of her, it was usually a job and a half for him to remember everything she told him.   But today the details were vague and half-hearted in the telling.   Peter realised she had been home alone all day and it was probably grief controlling her mind and thoughts.  He tried giving her several loving and supportive hugs throughout the evening, and even though she didn’t push him away or attempt to get out of the embrace she still felt very rigid in his arms.

   And when they retired for the night, for the first time in their marriage, Sharina slept with her back to Peter.   Peter tried to snuggle into her, but without saying a word Sharina removed his arms and moved closer to the edge of the bed.   Peter sensed discussion at this stage would lead to arguments and decided it to be wiser to simply lay the same way.   He rolled over and tried valiantly to get to sleep, but dreams and nightmares were conspicuous in their absence for the next few hours.   Instead they were replaced by hundreds of questions, all of which remained unanswered by the time Peter finally fell asleep, ninety five minutes before the alarm thundered into his sleep deprived mind.

********

   On the morning of the third day following the funeral of Sharina’s parents once again nothing about the previous night was mentioned, and for the next few days things seemed reasonably normal, though Sharina had very little to offer in the way of conversation and went to bed unreasonably early each night.   An attempt, in Peter’s mind, to prevent any attempt by him to try to communicate with her.   Peter was at a loss as to what he could do to help her get over her grief.   He considered suggesting to her to get professional help, but he didn’t know how to approach the subject without his concerns for her welfare upsetting her even more.

********

   By the fifth day Sharina had moved into the spare room and refused to give any reason, but told Peter if he objected to these sleeping arrangements she would move out.

   It was driving him crazy … and still she would not talk to him about it.

   Peter had no one else to turn to but his own parents, and they had wanted very little to do with him since his marriage.  As far as they were concerned his life was with his wife now, and he had to be there for her as she learnt to cope with her loss.   He never clearly understood why they had changed.   All he knew was that they had acted differently towards him since the day he had gone to Ishmati’s house as they had requested.

   Finally, after a month of his wife’s strange attitude, he decided that he had had enough and had several strong drinks on the way home, which, of course, was not a regular habit for him.   However it had been a particularly stressful day at his practice with his partner becoming too ill to come in to work which meant he had had to double up on patients.   He had been overworked, and he had thought most of his patients to be nothing but attention seekers and time wasters with their scratches and their self induced neuroses, and it had put him in no mood to face the belligerency that Sharina would be offering upon his arrival at home.   By nature Peter was not a drinking man, as I said earlier, and the alcohol hit home fast.  He confronted Sharina the minute that he walked through the door with a need for an answer as to what her problem was!

   Sharina simply looked at him with blankness in her eyes and went about preparing the meal as if he was not even in the room.   However, Peter refused to give in easily and he tried once more in his attempts to encourage her to talk, but instead of replying to his question, she simply turned to face him, gave him a contemptuous look, and then turned her back on him.   But Peter was not going to let her evade the problem on this day.   He was half drunk, he was angry, he was miserable, and he was hurting badly because he felt that he was losing  her … and he had no idea why.   They were going to sort things our right there and then, he decided … regardless of the consequences.  

   He reached out and placed one hand on her departing shoulder and forced her to turn around and face him, but as she turned Sharina glared absolute hatred from her eyes … and then spat on his face.   Peter felt shocked, humiliated and pained all in the one emotion and the pressure that he felt under, combined with the liqueur that he had consumed, exploded – and for the first time in their marriage … he reacted with a slap.   He had not delivered the full potential of his strength with the slap, but the shock of his reaction was enough for her to open up and spit out the venom that she had been storing up for weeks.   Most of it he couldn’t understand at first, because she screamed in her native tongue, then when she reverted to English, he couldn’t comprehend what she was talking about.   Nothing that Sharina was saying was making any sense to him.   Her body was shaking with rage, her eyes were wild; her tongue had a life of its own.  She spoke so much gibberish at such a volume and speed that Peter doubted that even she understood what she was saying.

   This time he couldn’t bring himself to hitting her again, but he knew that she was putting herself in danger of self-harm the way she flung her body and arms around.   Peter had once seen the madness of an addict who had overdosed on ice during his time at a hospital as a student, and Sharina was making his maniacal  madness seem like a young child throwing a tantrum.   Peter was in of fear for her sanity; her ranting and raving, her words, her body language was not that of one in charge of their own mind, and he was worried she was in the beginnings of a mental breakdown.   

   Somehow, in one quick motion, Peter grabbed hold of  both of her flaying arms by the wrist, wrapped her hands into a ball within his hands, pulled both arms up towards the ceiling, then quickly pulled them both down at and placed them behind her back where he squeezed them tightly together so she could not move.   Sharina’s instant reaction was to attempt to kick peter, but he had anticipated that and he lifted one leg to prevent any impact from occurring.   As her leg came forward, she wasn’t  expecting defence against her attack, and as result her leg took the full impact of the collision of his knee cap against the top of her leg.   The poor woman screamed in agony and fright at the unexpected impact.   She stared at Peter, the hatred and anger that were predominant in her eyes, now replaced by confusion and panic.

    But Peter never gave her a chance to recover.   Instead he looked deep into her eyes and spoke.   And when he spoke his voice was soft but firm.   It displayed no malice, it was not demanding   It was not loud, but it was not subdued.   “Stop fighting me, Sharina,” he said, “It’s not time for anger … it’s time to talk.   What we both need to do at the moment is concentrate on the love we have for each other, not the hatred that you have for me for something that hurts and  pains you, but is unknown to me.   I have no idea whatsoever why you have turned on me … and it is extremely important that you help me understand.”

   Sharina stared at him so vaguely that Peter thought she couldn’t comprehend what he was saying, however, she suddenly broke down into a sobbing mess and Peter pulled her forward and bought her close into his chest, released his grip on her hands, then lifted her unresisting body and carried Sharina into the bedroom and laid her down on the bed where he joined her, wrapping his arms around her, pulling her close into his body.   For the first time in weeks Peter felt his wife was taking comfort from his presence.

   Sharina’s tears fell constantly for what seemed ages, the pillow quickly saturated, the sheets soon joining their bed-mate, and the mattress appeared to be equally threatened along with Peter’s shirt and jacket. 

   But Peter never once relinquished the hold that offered her the safety and comfort she required, his voice remained soft and soothing.   And when at last Sharina stopped her weeping, her trembling ceased, and her breathing became slower, she cuddled into Peter and this time he could feel the warmth; the genuine love that lay within her heart for him.   They lay there for a long time just hugging, while he gently stroked her hair.  

   Hours elapsed, as they remained locked in this position, until finally she spoke … and the words she spoke, frightened him, amazed him and marked the beginning of a journey he would eventually make …  a journey that eventually ended here, at Trenthamville.  

   Sharina told him things that were supposed to a secret.   She warned him that they both could get killed if the wrong ears heard what she was telling him.

   Peter listened in absolute astonishment as his wife told him how her parents were members of a secret cult named the Sect of Thirteen and referred to themselves as Punjani, a clan initially formed in their homeland many years ago by their forefathers to worship and do the bidding of a god that had spoken to them in their dreams: offered them a fortune in reward for their services, and promised to protect them whilst they carried out his orders.   The men had done what was requested and the rewards were arriving on a regular basis.   Then something happened without warning.   One of their own betrayed them, a massacre occurred, but the surviving members had been able to retrieve their fortune whilst their hideaway was still under attack and escape.   They used their wealth to blend in with a higher class society in a town many miles from their ravaged hideaway and were safe from further prosecution for many years.   However they were eventually forced to move here, to this country, as many of their fellow countrymen did, when things became too dangerous for them to remain in a country undergoing radical political and social changes.  The descendants of the original sect are still as rich as the day their forefathers escaped the carnage, they are still under the protection of their god. and there is no reason to think that they wont go on forever … or at least until the Punjaniti has no further use for them.   That is their one and only fear in life.

   She went on to say that her parents were direct descendants of the original members of the Punjani, as were many of the others in the Sect of Thirteen, the name taken in reference to the thirteen survivors of the betrayal.   A rule had been invoked into their charter that no outsider would ever be allowed into the sect without the acceptance of all members, nor were any of the members allowed to talk about the sect to outsiders.  

   Consequently, very few of the sect ever made friends with outsiders that came into daily contact with them.   The God that they worshipped, Rangor, the Punjaniti, still provided them with ongoing protection for their wealth, and in repayment they continued to worship him and do his bidding when it was required of them.   And they were still searching for something of his that had been stolen many years ago.

   There were currently around one hundred members now living in various parts of England, she told him, and that included every house in the street that she and her parents had lived in.   Ironically the same membership number as there had been when the Punjani had been first formed.   But now the sect was represented by the living descendants of the thirteen members that had survived the massacre, and their spouses … and they each kept a very close watch out for any member that was likely to stray … any member … new or original.   They were determined history would not repeat itself.

   However there was a problem that the original members had had to face.   Their children would eventually need to take spouses in order to prevent the Punjani from dying out, and that meant that a security plan needed to be introduced.  The children were taught from birth to keep the secret of the Punjani … to never reveal its existence, or their involvement with it to anybody.   Then once they found somebody that they believed they would be happy to live together with as man and wife forever, and the feelings appeared to be reciprocal, arrangements would be made to ensure that it would remain a secret after the marriage.   The potential spouse and their parents would be made welcome to the home of the future in-laws before the marriage, gratis payments would be made when custom decreed that it should, the wedding setting and the reception details would be planned between both parents, but only the Punjani knew the details of other necessities that would be required to quell their concerns.

   Peter, what I am about to tell you must remain a secret between the two of us forever – because it includes you, and should a tongue slip cause suspicion with the other members … well I would rather not say what would happen.    Will you promise me?

  Peter made the promise she requested and Sharinna continued with her tale. 

   Before the wedding, a spell was placed on all of the outsiders that were connected with the wedding which forced their collective minds to not discuss the upcoming nuptials with anybody outside of those already involved in the proceedings.

   Once the wedding was completed, the parents and guest,s other than the Punjani members who were present, would be given a potion which, along with words spoken to them by a member of the Punjani, would convince them forever that there would never be a need to make communication with their child or friend again – never.   The bride, or bridegroom, as the case may be, would also have the similar sentiments fed into their minds before they were introduced to the sect of thirteen and the history of the Punjani.   However, in the case of the new spouse, the drug, and the spoken words, conspired to make the recipient of the spell think that their new thought pattern regarding the keeping of the secret of the Punjani, and not communicating with those from their past, was something  that they had always done … and everybody was happy.   

   The new, by-marriage, members of the sect were traditionally from the same country as the original Punjani, but since they had migrated to England it was usually descendants of other migrants from that part of the world that were welcomed into the Punjani families.   However, the connection between Peter and Sharina had been a bit of an exception, and when her father had first met with Peter’s family, a bonding took place almost immediately between the adults that carried on to the acceptance of Peter and Sharina falling in love.

   But to understand his willingness to possibly incur the wrath of his peers, you have to understand the depth of the friendship … and the reason for its existence.   You see, it all stemmed from the way that the two families had met not long before Peter’s first birthday.

   Pregnant, with only days to go before labour would be induced if necessary, Sharina’s mother, Isabella, had gone for a short walk by herself through the streets not far from her home.  Isabella was a woman who loved fitness, and had been determined not to miss any exercise simply because she was going to have a baby – however, she had badly misjudged her own body and collapsed in the street midway through her walk.   Now, just about anything could have happened at that moment, but fate had decreed where she would collapse.   I told you earlier that Peter only lived twelve streets away from Marsden House, and as fate decreed Isabella had collapsed outside Peter’s family home just as the family arrived home from a day’s outing.  

   Peter’s father immediately rang the hospital advising them of the woman’s condition, but the wheels were already in motion.  Fate had made its first move.” Laurie explained, sipping on his drink and signalling to the bar for another round,  “Destiny, call it what you like, but things had been planned for Peter James, long before his birth and this was a huge stepping stone towards his future.  But it won’t be the last.  He doesn’t know it yet, but he will have one more demon to fight … but that is yet to eventuate and I am diverting from my story.  

    Peter’s father was requested to take Isabella to the hospital as no ambulance would be available for some time due to a large transport accident that had absorbed all of their resources.   Later, they would find that the accident was, in fact, a large rail disaster where a derailment had occurred in the tube.  After Peter’s family arrived at the hospital, and Isabella had been admitted, Peter’s father made certain that the hospital staff, although they were totally harassed and understaffed as a result of the train derailment, promised to advise Isabella’s husband of her whereabouts.  He had realised that the husband would have had no way of knowing of her admittance, and would have been greatly worried by her disappearance.

    The very next day one hundred roses arrived at the James’ household, along with a thank-you card from a grateful husband.  Two weeks later the James family received visitors.  It was Isabella, her husband Ishmati, and their newborn daughter, Sharina, who would eventually become Peter’s wife.   Ishmati could not find the words to adequately express his gratitude to Peter’s father for saving his wife and daughter’s lives as he wished to, but Peter’s father got the message.   From that moment on, the four of them became great friends and the friendship continued over the years that followed, but for some strange reason they never socialised around the children.  If they were ever to dine out together they would do so at a restaurant or a hotel … and the children were always babysat in their own homes.

   Outside of that initial meeting, when Peter himself was not quite a year old, he and his future wife never met again until that day Peter had gone around to visit Sharina’s parents.  It is anybody’s guess why that happened, but it is Peter’s guess it was to avoid he and Sharina becoming friends … and his wanting to visit her at her home.   As I said earlier, the sect did not like mixing with outsiders and Ishmati may have felt Peter’s appearances at his home may have caused dismay and distrust within the sect.

   However, there was nothing Ishmati would not have done for Peter’s family to repay them, and when they mentioned their unhappiness about their son’s educational achievements he set about rectifying that situation on their behalf without mentioning how he would achieve that result.  

   The day that Peter had gone around to Sharina’s house, he had been drugged – then the Punjaniti had been summoned and requested to help the young man on the premise that the Punjani’s private doctor was getting old and would soon need replacing.   This young man, once he became a doctor, could treat the members of the circle and be trusted.  Her father suggested that he need not become a follower, but he could be tied to the sect by virtue of marriage.   The Punjaniti agreed and performed the magic that was necessary. 

   At the time the promise was false, as Sharina’s father had no idea how the marriage could be arranged, but fate, and cupid’s work, was already in the planning stage, and when the two locked eyes after the Punjaniti’s work had been done – true love was ready to pounce; serendipity, if you like, but the love that they felt instantly for each other was real.

   However, the power that had changed Peter’s ability to learn somehow caused a division between him and his parents.  Although he never noticed a change in himself, they did.  The possibility exists that the spell, cast on him by the Punjani or the Punjaniti, resulted in his over zealous attitude towards study at the cost of his attitude towards his family.   This, combined with his newfound interest in his future wife, constantly isolated him from family affairs.   By the time he had finished his last medical exam and qualified as a doctor, he was barely communicating with his parents.

   The family were proud of their son’s achievements, but secretly wished that they could have their old son back.  They kept their thoughts to themselves, but just prior to the first wedding anniversary they finally confided their sorrow to their friends, saying that though they appreciated what had been done for their son, they were feeling rather regretful these days.   In retrospect they would rather have seen him a failure, than have lost him as a son.  In truth, it is extremely doubtful that they had any real inclination as to their friend’s involvement in their son’s success.   They had assumed he had either spoken to their son that day and shown him encouragement, or it had been due to the influence of meeting his future bride, but the thought of a supernatural being giving him the power to complete his education and become a doctor had never once entered their mind.

   Ishmati was surprised that the drugs they had been given had not totally obliterated their thoughts and memories of their son and assumed it was a rare case of family bonding being stronger than the potion that had been fed to them.   He had heard it was possible, however he had never seen it in action before and was impressed by the strength that love could provide.  

   But Ishmati also took exception to their complaints – to their lack of gratitude for what he had done for them – for the danger that he had put himself and his family in for their happiness.   Friends are friends and they can have an undying affection for each other, but two minds do not necessarily think the same way all the time, and this was the situation here.   Ishnmati felt that he had taken an awful risk in using the Punjaniti in the first instance, and he felt more frustrated that he couldn’t explain this to these ungrateful people.   The comments that they were now making were not of ingratitude, simply expressions of sorrow at how estranged their relationship with their son had become,  but this was  not the way that Ishmati interpreted their words, and it quickly took its toll on his own inner fears and worries.   In truth, Ishmati had always felt slightly regretful of his decision to use the Punjaniti for personal gain; he had always feared retribution should the other members find out what he had done.   And his incorrect assumption of what Peter’s parents were saying; this obvious lack of gratitude of the risk that he had undertaken caused suppressed fear to rise within him … and it quickly turned to anger.

   Tempers became heated and words were spoken that normally would have been withheld.   Ishmati cursed them in the name of the Punjaniti, and suggested that he would invoke the Punjaniti, and have him reverse the spell that had been placed on Peter.    When the parents asked him to explain what he meant, he replied,   ‘You fools – How do you think he achieved the results that he did?  The great God, Rangor the Punjaniti, was called and he gave your son the necessary ability to study and achieve greatness.  I went to great trouble to request this because you wanted it.   If the rest of the Punjani knew what I was doing they would have tried to stop me – with my life if necessary.   I took great personal risks to achieve what you wanted, and now you decide that you have made too much of a sacrifice with your request.  Well I consider that to be an insult that I cannot tolerate!’   With that he stormed out of the house, his wife in tow.   He was later to regret his outburst, but by then it was far too late.

   Peter’s parents did not know what to make of Ishmati’s ravings.  They had been feeling sorrow within themselves, anguish caused by the changes within their child, but they had never meant to have hurt and lost their friend as well, and what made it harder was that they really didn’t quite comprehend what their friend had been talking about … and they weren’t certain that they wanted to know.

   Meanwhile, when Ishmati had arrived home he was still in a state of anger.  As soon as he entered the house he continued with his barrage of cursing his old friends, and still threatening to revoke the charm that had been placed on the doctor.  His wife tried her best to calm him down, but it was to no avail.   He continued to rant and rave, and generally repeated the afternoon’s events aloud.

   Had he been less stressed out, and more aware of his surroundings, then he would have noticed that his daughter had dropped in and was entertaining two of a neighbour’s children who had happened to drop by with a message from their parents for hers.  The visitors could not have helped but overhear his conversation – two days later Sharina’s parents were dead. 

   According to the police report, some hot embers from an unguarded fireplace had spat onto the floor and set fire to the carpet while they were asleep.   Inexplicably, the alarms had failed to go off, and while the house itself failed to catch fire, the smoke that emitted from the carpet gave them no chance of surviving.   Later, the post mortem revealed that they had died from smoke inhalation, but it also revealed drugs in their system suggesting that it may have been a double suicide, or an accident because they were more than likely to have been unconscious when the fire broke out.  They eventually settled for accidental death to make things easier for Sharina to accept in her mind.   As far as they were concerned the couple had never shown suicidal tendencies, and there was no reason to raise the possibility of their being so inclined on the official case file.”

********

   “How horrible,” Mary found herself interrupting, “but surely it was only as a result of an accident?”

   “According to Sharina, it had been a warm night, and there had been no need of a fire in the first place.   She had been told about the forensic and physical  evidence of drugs possibly being involved by the daughter of one of her parent’s neighbours, but immediately rejected and dismissed it from her mind without any further thought.   She assumed that it had been murder from the start, but there was no way that she could ever prove it, and the police wouldn’t be too interested because there was no proof that she could offer, and of course she couldn’t mention the Punjani or the Punjaniti.   This had been Peter’s train of thought also, though he was unaware of the inclusion of drugs into the equation, but he had never discussed his thoughts and questions with Sharina, fearing it may upset her to think that a family friend may have killed her parents.

   As Sharina continued with her explanation for her behaviour over the past few weeks Peter couldn’t help but wonder how things would have turned out had he mentioned his thoughts to her at the time and began to feel guilt creeping over him … even though he knew it to be unjustified.   He had done nothing wrong intentionally, but he also felt that he should have been more resilient in his attempts to communicate with her, to assure himself of the soundness of her mind in a time of grief.

********

   “But why did she blame her husband in the first place?”   Mary asked,    “I don’t understand?”

   “It had been her mother who eventually told her that her father had done something to help Peter on the day that she had first met him, nothing to do with their relationship, she assured Sharina, but something to do with his studies and said no more.   But Sharina had been in the house when her father let fly with his tirade against Peter’s parents and she soon put two and two together and assumed it to be the Punjani that had killed her parents after her father had sought help from the Punjaniti.   So, in her mind, she reasoned that if Peter had simply learnt to study in the first place, then none of this would have happened.  If he had studied under his own steam then his parents would not have complained to her parents, and so on. 

   But then she had begun to reason that if that had been the case then she may not have ever met Peter, and she loved him so deeply she could not even bear the thought of not being his wife and in his life.   Eventually she began having conflicts in her mind … which was the worst situation?   Not having her parents?   Not having him?    It was driving her mad.    And, like Peter, she had nobody to turn to.   She now mistrusted the Punjani because she was certain in her mind that they had killed them, and she had no idea how to comminate with Peter because one part of her mind was still throwing the blame on him.”

   “So she was saying that this sect – the Punjani or whatever you called them – killed them for disclosing their existence to outsiders?”

   “Which he never actually did, but yes, that, and the fact he had called up the Punjaniti for personal use.  Her father was the only one outside of the current priest that knew how to summon the Punjaniti.   He was the back up in case anything happened to the priest.”

   “Why didn’t they kill Peter’s parents as well if they thought that they knew all about the Punjani and what Ishmati had done for them?  And, for that matter, why didn’t they kill Peter?”

   “There are several reasons possible, but nobody knows the real truth.   The Punjaniti would not protect them from a murder investigation if they weren’t following a direct order from him to kill.   And Peter expects that includes the deaths of Ishmati and Isabella, which is why they were injected with drugs before the fire was lit, to make it seem like suicide or a terrible accident.  Should he suddenly die, the police might re-investigate the ‘accidental’ deaths of his in-laws’

    Peter also thought that with the other doctor still very sick the Punjani still had a use for him.  

   And he believed that they believed that he was totally unaware of the sect’s existence.   He had been given the potion, but he had not attended the introduction to the Punjani and their history with the Punjaniti because Ishmati had suggested that there would be no need for him to be aware of the existence of the Punjaniti as he would not be involved in doing his bidding.   He was only being inducted into the fold because his daughter had fallen in love with him and the sect needed a doctor with a clear head.   Becoming involved in the Punjani’s affairs could easily distract him from doing his job without being distracted from what they required from him, keeping them all healthy.   The other members were dubious about this situation, but had accepted Ishmati’s suggestion.

   But the biggest factor was probably the fact that should his parents, his own, or Sharina’s death happen at the same time as his in-laws, the police could easily grow suspicious … and several family deaths, no matter how they eventuated, would make the police look a lot deeper into their affairs.”

   “What happened after she told him?”

********

   “Peter was shocked to say the least.  He asked her to tell him more about the sect, but she refused, saying that the less that he knew the better off they both would be, and she had already told him too much .   Then she apologized for her behaviour over the last few weeks, begging him for his forgiveness, which he gave unconditionally.   They made love that night; soft, sweet, natural love for the first time since her parents died, and fell asleep in each other’s arms.  In the morning she was like a changed person.  Everything seemed like it used to be and there was a honeymoon type of magic in the air. 

   They behaved like newlyweds, kissing, cuddling and making love almost as soon as they were awake.  They showered together, rubbing shower gel onto each other’s backs, and spent the morning laughing and giggling like a couple of pre-puberty schoolchildren.  Peter was on the verge of taking the day off when Sharina received a phone call.  After she had answered it she told him that she had to go out for a while, so he may as well go to work and they could continue where they left off when he arrived home.   He never asked her who it was, but checked to make sure that she was going to be alright after he left.   She assured him that she would be, and gave him a long passionate kiss that almost made him change his mind about going, but she shooed him along, again promising that the night would be magic.  

   Peter left home that morning a happy man, but was never to see his wife alive again.”

********

   “Why?  What happened?” Mary asked, her eyes opening wide with shock and curiosity.

   “On her way to wherever she was going there was a semi-trailer reversing out of a building.   She got caught in the driver’s blind spot, and he backed the truck right over her car just as she was forced to stop at a pedestrian crossing which crossed the street at a spot just to the left of the building.”

   “How horrible, but at least it was an accident and not induced by the sect.”

   Mary’s comment was met with silence.

   “It was an accident wasn’t it?”

   “Perhaps it was – perhaps not.  There were no witnesses to the accident.”

   “What about the person crossing the road?”

   “Disappeared without a trace.  The driver was in a state of shock and ended up in a ward for treatment for quite some time afterward.   And while no charges were ever laid, he had sworn on his mother’s grave that he had seen someone crossing in his  mirror, but he had not seem Sharina’s car.  Peter feels he may never know the truth, but will always be suspicious that it was an arranged death.   He doesn’t blame the driver, but he does wonder about the missing witness.  

   Peter was certain in his mind that the Punjani were dangerous, though something kept nagging at him that they weren’t responsible for Sharina’s death, and if that was the case he was probably not on their hit list.   But he also knew from what Sharina had told him it was more than possible, and , therefore, his own life as in danger.  At first he didn’t know what to do, it was certainly not a discussion seeking advice he could have with anybody.   Finally he decided that he would have to leave and find somewhere new to live, and hope he wasn’t prevented from doing so.

   He secretly made contact with a real estate agent and arranged to rent an apartment in the city before Sharina’s funeral, but told nobody about it.  A week after the funeral he told his partner, Doctor Tanshuni that he wished to terminate the partnership.   He was having trouble coping with Sharina’s death and he felt that he needed to go somewhere far away to learn to deal with his heartache.   Doctor Tanshuni tried gently to talk him out of his decision, but Peter was adamant that he needed solitude.   Doctor Tanshuni finally accepted defeat, said that he would be sorry to lose him as a fellow doctor, and wished him well and Peter moved to his new accommodation three days later.”

   “How did the Punjani react to his decision?”

“Well, as you can imagine, Peter couldn’t very well tell his patients that he was leaving because he no longer trusted them.  And they couldn’t say much to make him stay either, because they had no bargaining power as a result of his wife’s untimely death.   However, it was as a result of what happened next that absolved the Punani’s involvement in Sharina’s death in Peter’s mind.  Somebody had called her that morning and set her up, possibly with the help of the Punjaniti, but Peter doubted that it had been an action taken as a whole by the Punjani.   If they were worried about what she had told him, they would have killed him by now.   That was the way that Peter saw things, and the action taken by the Punjani in relation to Peter’s impending departure confirmed that thought for him.

The first that the Punjani knew of Peter’s impending departure had been either by the notice that had been placed on the notice board in the surgery, or by the advice given to the priest by Doctor Tashuni, and it did not take them long to get their heads together as to what action to take.   On the morning of Peter’s final day at the surgery every patient that attended the surgery arrived bearing food and presents, including patients that Peter was absolutely certain were not Punjani, and Peter was given a farewell that he knew he was never likely to receive again.   Every single patient expressed their gratitude and thanked him for the help and relief he had given to them over the past year, and every single patient had brought him a gift of varying value ranging from ten or fifteen pounds up to an immeasurable value.   Peter was overwhelmed by their show of appreciation.  He had doubted very much that they would have gone to these limits if the were intending to kill him the next day.

But Peter was to receive another surprise.   A surprise that he felt almost guaranteed his safety, and one that changed his life forever.   One of his patients, who identified himself as a lawyer, advised him that he was the sole inheritor of Sharina’s parent’s house due to the death of his wife, and under the circumstances they were willing to make him a fair offer should he wish to sell it.   He explained that he and his neighbours, as did the late owners of the house, were reasonably particular who moved into the street, and despite the huge price tag, new money purchasers could be more trouble than they were worth.   They would prefer to keep the street in the family, so as to speak.”

   “And did he?”

   “Yes.   He received a very fine offer which he accepted.   Peter never disclosed exactly how much he received, except to indicate it was in seven figure range.   One thing is for certain, he will never need to work again.   He only opened the clinic and helps out at the hospital to give him something to do … and he likes his work.   And the patients like him, especially those that really can’t afford treatment.     He doesn’t charge those that can’t afford it, he prefers to barter with them instead.    He  is a bachelor, so he needs repairs done to his clothing.   He often receives fresh vegetables and fruit in repayment for his services, and the occasional meal … and has been known on many occasions to give the patient the money to pay for their medication.   On the occasions when he has an overabundance of fruit and veggies he donates it to the local retirement home.   He is charitable, but does his best to make those that he help not feel like they are charity cases, simply neighbours down  on their luck at the moment.

“He sounds like a nice man,” Mary admitted, “but why did he come to Trenthamville.   Surely he would have been better off in London.

   “It was preordained … it was fate … it was an accident – take your choice.   But something brought Peter here for a reason … and he doesn’t really know what it is.   Not yet anyway.”

“What do you mean?”

   “Peter was not coming to Trenthamville originally.   He accidentally took the wrong exit.   He was supposed to exit nearly thirty miles further down the motorway to catch up with an old friend from his schooldays whose parents were celebrating their fiftieth wedding anniversary when, as fate would have it, his car broke down right in front of Frank’s garage.

   Frank couldn’t get the parts in until the following Tuesday, and his only hire car was also under repair.   So, on impulse, and Frank’s recommendation, Peter decided to stay at Missus O’Shaunassy’s bed and breakfast for the weekend and take in the local tourist things and fell in love with both the people he met, and the village itself … and never went back to London.

   Instead, he opened his surgery, volunteered at the hospital, and began his investigations into the folklore of this and surrounding villages.  Since Sharina had introduced him the existence of the Punjani he had become besotted by cults and the supernatural.   He had managed to obtain some of the titles he had seen in Ishmati’s man cave and had studied the contents on every spare moment he had.  Peter was unsure, but he felt that what he read was not purely related to past history, but somehow involved in what was yet to come.

   “And he told you all this?”   Mary asked in a slightly mocking tone.

   “Yes.”

   “But why … why would anybody confide a story like that with a perfect stranger?”

   “I don’t know.  My thoughts at the time were of unsurpassed amazement.  Perhaps he needed to tell his story to someone that he felt that he could trust.    Maybe he just wanted to make sure that the Punjani weren’t around here as well.  Or, perhaps, he felt that it was preordained for me to know because he knew that one day you would arrive and I would be the intermediary.” Laurie suggested with a jovial laugh.

   “Well, that would be a very strange coincidence indeed.” Mary replied dubiously.

   “Well, you can believe in coincidences any way that you like, but, believe it or not, Doctor James has just walked in,” Frank remarked offhandedly.

   Mary looked up just in time to see Doctor James approaching them.  He nodded, smiling as he passed them on his way to the bar.  “Good evening, Miss Cunningham, it’s a pleasure to see you again in such fine condition and such fine company.  No side effects from your accident?”

   “No, thank you, Doctor James.  Everything is fine.   Your arrival is perfect timing.  Won’t you please join us for a drink?   I believe that you know everybody here.” Mary motioned to an empty space beside Frank, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

   “Thank you, but I am not yet off duty.  I just dropped in to arrange to have my dinner delivered to the surgery.  Most nights I eat here at the hotel, but there has been a run of appointments today.   It left me with a lot of paper work, I missed lunch and I am starving.   By eating in the surgery I can also do the paperwork.    Kill two birds with the one stone, so as to speak.   Perhaps later, in an hour or so, if you are still here, otherwise thank you for the offer.  Laurie, Frank, ladies!”  He bowed his head then turned on his heels and continued his journey to the bar.

   “Strange coincidence alright, Laurie,” Mary noted with a tone of sarcasm, “Even you must admit that it seems a most unusual coincidence that a perfect stranger tells someone that they have just met the most incredulous story that anyone has ever heard, and the main character in the tale suddenly enters the room right on cue as the retelling of the story ends.”

   Laurie looked Mary squarely in the eye and spoke softly, and without emotion, “You are a stranger, Mary, and I am telling you all of this, aren’t I?’

   “Yes, but …”

   “And it is a strange story that I am telling a complete stranger, is it not?”

   “Yes, but …”

   “And, did not you, just a few minutes earlier, tell all of us strangers about a strange encounter that you had with some monster emerging from a still photograph of an old farm while you were in a garage?  An incredulous story wouldn’t you agree?”

   “Well, yes, I suppose so.  But it was you that asked me about it.” Mary replied defensively.

   “And wasn’t it, you, that insisted that Frank brought you here to talk to me about it?”

   “Yes.” Mary reluctantly agreed, succumbing to defeat in her argument.

   “I certainly understand what you are insinuating, Mary and, yes, I would think that most people would be inclined to agree with you.  There is, however, a difference between most people, and me.  I tell you this because of what you told me, what you saw, or at least, what you think you saw.   Because of what Frank was part witness to, and what even Malena became a little bit too closely involved in some time back … what you seem to have run into is deeply involved up Satanic worship!    And what you three have told me gives me great concern, because these type of strange events seem to have amplified in recent weeks.” 

   “Devil worship?   Here in Trenthamville?”  Mary asked incredulously.

    “It exists in many forms, and called by many names.  There are those in this village who would attempt to profit from selling their soul to Lucifer.  Peter recognised that in some that he had spoken to.   He would not have been able to at one stage of his life, but after the death of his wife he thought a lot about his ex-patients, and he recognised some traits in the locals here that he had seen in them.   His instincts had been heightened by the spell that the Punjaniti had cast on him.   It had given him powers that he is still pretty much unaware of how to use, but his aroused suspicions about his wife’s death, and her suspicions earlier, regarding her parent’s death, had spurred him on to find out more about the occult – about the Punjani, and other cults that worshipped false gods.

   The more he read the more he became aware of his gift for intuition.  He can’t read minds, but he can sense thoughts.  He can feel evil in a man without them recognising its existence.   And he can sense when a man is an equal in spirit, if not in purpose.   He sensed my power and recognised it as being equal, if not greater, to his own.”  

   Laurie paused for a second to gain maximum impact on his next statement,   “I am, Mary, a white witch, a white warlock if you prefer.  It is a gift that has been handed down throughout the generations that my family has lived in Trenthamville – even long before witchcraft had a name.  It was given to my family to protect the village from the evil that has always lurked here.  An evil that has existed since the dawn of time … and the centre of the dark ring is located at Forster farm.” 

   Mary dropped back into the seat and quickly swallowed the remainder of her drink.  Like Joseph had, when he first met Rosetta, she wondered exactly what it was she had got herself into.

Go to Episode 34