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Episode 68

   “Rangor … is coming here!  Tonight?  My god, we are all in so much danger.”  Raji stated in a startled, panicky way; a fear attached panic from deep within his heart and soul that spread itself quickly to both Mary and Martin.
  “Arkerous assures me that Rangor will arrive in this house within the not too distant future, presumably with the intention of killing us.”  Joseph replied offhandedly,
  “Do you believe him, Joseph?  Do you truly believe that is what he intends to do … kill us?”  Mary asked nervously, unsure what she should say in the circumstances.  “Then why are we still here?  If we leave now, surely we will get away in time?”
  Joseph gave Mary a wry smile as he spoke, “Though Arkerous reluctantly admitted that killing us may not actually be planned, Rangor is certainly expected to take advantage of our appearance and do so.  It is most unlikely that he will have a change of heart and want to start afresh with us. This is why it is imperative that he does not sense our appearance in the house until we are ready for him.  It is our job to stop him.
  Raji dared not even question what Joseph had meant.  Mainly because he did not quite understand what had happened to his two friends in this room, while Joseph seemed to have some kind of knowledge regarding the situation.  As a result Raji was placing all of his trust into Joseph’s guidance and decisions.  Raji certainly had no wish to do something that would jeopardize the outcome of tonight’s events by asking inane questions that even he, himself, would not truly understand.  But, to make matters worse for him, although he had put on a bravado impression that he fully understood the workings of the Punjani and the Punjaniti, Raji was quickly realising his true understanding of his employees, and their god, was zilch.  
  And, together, Raji, Martin and Mary were finally beginning to understand that they really had no understanding of just how dark their world was becoming; at least not judging by Joseph’s current words and actions.  They were all still treating things like it was an arcade game that they were playing; a fantasy where, if they pressed the right buttons, they would win the game, or perhaps it was a page turning book they were reading with a fairy tale ending.  But Joseph was giving them ‘cause for thought’ on the possibility of a happy ending; all three of them were glad that Joseph, at least, had a good idea of what was happening … and a plan to combat it.  But their confidence may have battered and bruised if they were aware that he was flying by the seat of his pants.  Should Joseph have a thought or an idea, he was acting on it immediately without any thought to the consequences.  He was travelling by instinct – and instinct alone … and he knew it.  But he felt safer not divulging his shortcomings to his friends lest they made a collective decision to run for their lives while they still could.  However, they had not seen what Rangor was capable of; they had not seen what Arkerous had revealed to him. The destruction; The mayhem, the complete and unnecessary annihilation of an almost entire life force.  Something that Rangor appeared to have done since time began
  Joseph was convinced that running away would not save them.  Rangor wanted to rid himself of them forever for whatever reason he held dear to his heart … should he have had one, but Joseph wasn’t really concerned why.  He just knew there would be nowhere to hide for the four of them.  In his mind Joseph was being guided by someone or something as yet unknown, and they, and they alone, knew what to expect … and how to deal with it.  He had absolutely no idea whatsoever of the identity of this person or being, yet he had absolute faith in the guidance that they gave him.  But he dared not tell his friends the truth.  He knew that they were in great danger, and the only way to save them was to ensure that they believed in him.  He knew that one mistake by him, or loss of faith in him at the wrong time, could prove to be disastrous for them all.
  “Now,” Joseph requested as he attempted to divert them from their questions, “could everybody please carefully pick up the broken pieces of glass and place them, reflective side up, scattered on the plates. They all look to be roughly the same size, so try and put around roughly the same amount of glass on each plate.  I realise it is a bit of guess work in the first place, but we should have time to correct anomalies and use up any excess glass once all plates have had been at least partially filled.  I will do the first one to guide you the rough pattern you need to follow.  Please do your best to get it right the first time without wasting time.  Most importantly, the plate location has been measured.  It is extremely important that you do not relocate the plate anywhere else or it will not do what it is intended to do.  Move the collected glass to the plate, not the plate to the glass. There are only two dozen plates, so it should not take too long.  Now,” Joseph paused while he reached into his coat pocket and extracted four black, white number dominoes, each bearing a different number ranging between one and four, “take one each and remember your number.”  Mary, Martin and Raji each selected a domino leaving number one in Joseph’s hand.  “Right, we don’t have a lot of time, so we better get cracking.  I’m going to show you the pattern to follow … then we are going to place our markers in the right spot.  Rather than us tripping over each other in our movements we will use these dominoes to guide us.  It is simply a time saver.  There are twenty four plates to be filled spread around the room.  We will each place our dominoes numerically in front of the seventh plate on the right of our starting point which will be number one.  And everybody will work to the right hand side of their own starting point.  Everybody understand?” 
Everybody agreed that they did and Joseph then showed them the pattern they were to
follow: A circle on the rim and a cross in the middle.

********

The dominoes finally in place, the four friends now at their individual starting positions, Martin looked at Joseph, a huge grin covering his face as he began to complete his first task. ‘So, are you certain that this isn’t a birthday party!” He exclaimed with joy in his voice, “It must be to go to all this trouble, but whose?  Is it yours, Mary, perhaps?  No?   Raji … is it yours?  I mean this Magical Mirrors game looks like a load of fun when I reflect on it”
  “It’s nobody’s birthday, Martin.”  Joseph retorted sharply, “and we don’t need dad jokes either.” He added with a defusing grin.  “We really need to finish this and get out of here.”
  “How disappointing … ah well, cest la vie.  You are a hard man, Joseph to deny us our participation in a surprise birthday party for our mystery guest.”
  “There is no birthday party, Martin.”  Joseph snapped tersely,  “There is, however, urgency.  So can we just get on with it?  We really are going to be in a dangerous position if we aren’t out of here in the next ten or so minutes.  This is not a joke that we are playing.  Our lives are in danger!”
  An ashamed look appeared on Martin’s face as he apologised.  “Sorry, Joseph.  This is the most insane case I have ever been involved in and I think the enormity and lunacy is beginning to take its toll.  I mean, take aliens defending the planet and demons running amok throughout it, along with cults and god knows what spasmodically interfering in our lives, and then add witches and a murderous creature who wants to attack the Earth and totally annihilate the inhabitants to the mix … and what do you have?  I’ll tell you – total insanity.  I mean who would believe sane men and women could find themselves involved in such an improbable scenario?  But look what happened to Rosetta and her father … and Raji’s friends.  That was all real, wasn’t it?  Then there was Vittorio, and what you and I saw at the garage, Joseph.  I am sorry, Joseph, my nerves are getting a bit frayed at the edge trying to come to grips with everything we have encountered in the strange bloody little village.  I just need an outlet to let off my fears and frustrations and I do it with bad jokes.”
  “There is nothing to be ashamed about, Martin.  I’ve heard far worse attempts at humour.  You are right, though.  It’s not been a usual weekend in my life either, and I feel sure that both Mary and Raji will give you a similar statement.  But what you said about Rosetta and her father, and Raji’s friends, for that matter, is something we have to accept to be quite true … and it is something our minds will have to accept did happen.  And if we accept that is a real situation, then we have to accept that being here, at this point of time, is putting our lives further at risk.
  But our reason for being here also means that we willing to fight whatever it is that is behind our current situation.  And at the moment, to do so, it is imperative that we place the broken glass on the paper plates … then get the hell out of this house for the moment.
  Martin nodded his agreement, and Mary and Raji voiced their concurrence as the small group immediately began to put in more effort to speed up the task at hand, carefully scattering the sharp fragments onto the paper plates with their fingers as fast as they could.

********

On completion of their task, for but a second or two, Joseph and his co-workers reviewed their work.  Joseph, if the truth was to be known to all, saw it in a different light than the others, and he was more than pleased at what he saw in front of him; half hidden from the casual observer, the plates, spread unobtrusively around the room close to the walls, would not draw attention to themselves in the current conditions.  But for what was expected to happen when Rangor arrived, it was as close to what he had wished for than he had ever imagined could be possible. 
  The others, however, wondered why they had wasted so much time on such an inane task, never mind do it in the first place.  They realised that Joseph had a plan, but what could he implement in a farmhouse full of witches that would justify their strange attempt at craft work, they wondered … but their thoughts only drew a blank. Their curiosity had been getting the better of them, and they had had been bursting at the seams to understand what Joseph’s plan was.  But not one of them had the courage to challenge either Joseph’s sanity, or ask for a reason for what they had done in the room.  They trusted Joseph’s decisions and judgement, though his current eccentric behaviour was forcibly encouraging their individual thoughts to conjure up unrequited acceptance that what they were dealing with went far beyond the normal, and they were beginning to wonder if perhaps they were placing their head in the sand à la Martin’s imaginary birthday party; denying themselves the absolute reality of what they may be facing.  Perhaps, they began to collectively imagine, perhaps the reality of truly accepting the fact that something from the supernatural world had invaded theirs was something that they did have to face.  But could they?
  Then, in a split second, all thoughts in their collective heads disintegrated as a loud hissing noise like gas leaking began spluttering through the quietness of the house.  And just as unexpected, seemingly coming out of the windowless wall, a gust of wind arrived in the room; a gust so strong it threatened to knock the four of them off their feet and into the red hot embers, but somehow they managed to stay upright and safe.  And the surprises continued when the wind abruptly disappeared from the room, the burning embers dropped back to a more subtle temperament, and through the still night air the sound of chanting emerged from somewhere in the woods.
  “The witches, they are back.”  Raji’s voice carried a tone of disappointment at the ineffectiveness of his earlier charade.  “I guess that we never really scared them off.”
  “They were never going to leave.”  Joseph replied, “Listen to the fire.  You can feel its heat increasing.  The Punjaniti is on his way.”       
  Everybody turned their eyes around to face the embers and found themselves surprised to find burning flames were now dancing on the rug roughly six inches above the surface.
  Joseph stood up and addressed the group, “There is something that I have to tell you all, and it is very important.  I have been getting strange thoughts in my brain since early this morning.  Maybe earlier, I can’t be any more specific.  I have tried to dismiss them as simply mind strain and exhaustion due to the events of the past few days.  Now I am beginning to understand them.  As we stand here it becomes clearer and clearer what we must do.  But we don’t have time to discuss it at the moment.  What we really need to do for the moment is get the hell out of here.  So please, place your faith in me and we will get out of this in one piece.”
  “The chosen one,” Mary said with assumed pride.  “Oh, Joseph … I am so pleased that it was you.”
  Joseph smiled shyly as he dismissed her praise and went on.  “Please don’t for a minute think that I am a hero or a martyr, for I am not.  This plan is not mine, but it has been given to me and I think that it will work, but for it to do so, you must do exactly what I ask without question.”
  “I trust you, Joseph.”   Martin replied without hesitation
  “And so do I, Joseph.”  Mary and Raji replied with one voice.
   “Thank you, all of you.  Now we don’t have any time left so I will make this as fast as I can.  The witches are the current power source for the Punjaniti, or so he fimagines.  Rangor assumes the Punjani are no longer needed to do his bidding, or to allow him into this world.  The witches, or what is left of them, are going to provide the entrance that he needs.” 
  As Joseph spoke, the room began to reek of sulphur and other obnoxious odours as the hissing sound increased, and the flames were becoming even more frenzied in their dance of death on the carpet; while outside the house the sound of the chanting grew louder, and closer.  “Our time is growing shorter so we must hurry.”  Joseph continued, “The witches will be coming in here within the next couple of minutes, and they must not find you here.  In their present state of mind they will kill you all without thinking of the consequences.   Mind you, if the Punjaniti arrives before we are ready, then there will be no consequences for them to worry about.  We will all be dead.  I want you three to leave here and make believe that we are all going back to town.  Raji, before Martin starts the engine, I want you to disconnect the interior bulbs, or simply break them if it is quicker, so anybody watching won’t know for certain how many got in the car.  Once he starts the car, I want you to get ready to jump out of the car as soon you pass the end of the house as you go up the hill and over the bump where the road flattens out as it approaches the road.  Once you have gone over the hump they won’t be able to see the car, but they might see the glow of the brake lights so get as close to the main road exit as you can before you stop the car, Martin.  Raji, it will be dark and they won’t see you get out if there is no light on when you open the door.  Make your way back down the hill to where the side of the barn is raised, where your friend was hiding, and hide there until Martin and Mary arrive, looking our for any witches that may be close by so you can double back and warn Mary and Martin.  I expect the witches will all enter the house he minute the car drives over the ridge, so when you feel it is safe enough all of make your way to the end of the house and wait there out of sight keeping one eye out for errant witches, and the other on the front door where I will be waiting, but watch out for possible guards.  If there are guards I will try and lead them away from you so between the four of us we can overpower them.  I don’t suppose that you have a silencer for your gun, do you, Raji?”
  “As luck will have it, I do.” Raji replied grinning.
  “Great.  Then please get it attached and don’t be afraid to use it.  But I would prefer you tried to disable them, not kill them … I don’t think that they are of sound mind at the moment.  And I would much prefer the witches inside the house do not hear any strange noises that might bring them outside.”
  “I will do my best.”  Raji promised.
  “Good.  It is imperative that we can regain entry to the hallway and the mirrors as fast as humanly possible.  In the meantime, Martin and Mary, once you think you are on or near the road, and out of immediate sight, turn off the lights, cut the engine and park off the road the best that you can … and then walk back to wait with Raji making as little noise as you can in case there are guards at the front entrance to the house.  We don’t want to bring attention to ourselves too early.  As soon as you meet up with Raji, and the witches have all entered the house, come down to the house, and wait for my signal from the front door.  I will need all the help that I can get by that stage.
  But before you go, and this is as equally important.  When you come back into the house you are going to come, very quietly, straight along the hallway and wait in front of one of the mirrors without talking, or bringing attention to the fact that we are there.  I want you all to pick one out now so you will know which one to go to when we come back.  We will not have time for arguments or decision making when we come back.  So, Mary, would you choose first, please and remain in front of it while Raji and Martin make their choice.”

********

  The small group walked over to the hallway, agreed on their choices and while they were there Joseph continued explaining the plan.

********

“When we arrive back at in the hallway we won’t know how much time we will have to wait.  It could be seconds, it could be minutes, but it certainly won’t be a long wait.  But you must be ready and are waiting for my next signal as soon as you arrive at your mirror.  While you are waiting familiarise your hands with the grip of the mirror you are standing in front of.  Make sure you have both of your hands on the one mirror, and not accidentally holding one handle on two different mirrors.  Our lives may be at risk if we lose time untangling ourselves when I give the signal for us to move.
  Now the last instruction bar one.  At the moment the glass on your mirror is facing the wall.  Mary, I want you to hand me your mirror, please.

********

Mary did what was asked of her, surprised at how light it was considering its size, and was further surprised when Joseph unexpectedly withdrew a rock around the size of his open palm and smashed it with reasonable force leaving the entire mirror shattered, but completely intact.  Joseph handed the mirror back to a very confused Mary before requesting and even more confused Martin and Raji to individually pass him the remaining four mirrors to which he carried out the same action before handing them back.

  “It was easier my doing them for you than showing you, and expecting a one hundred percent duplication of my actions.  We only had one chance; there was no room for error.”  Joseph advised them in a quiet, non-patronising, tone,  “They have been specially manufactured and should work as effectively as we need them to.  As soon as I deem it to be the appropriate time, I will tell you to turn.  When you hear this instruction you will twist the mirror round so the glass is facing you … and I will then lead you all out into the main room where you will have less than a second to get into a semi-circle.  I will call out ‘semi-circle … now’.  Raji, you will be a pace to the right of me and you will take one more step forward to where I will be, and Mary will be one step to the left and forward of Martin.  Once we are in this position we are a breath away from battle.  The first instruction I will call out some time after we formed the semi circle will be ‘mirror’s forward’ and that is when you will swing your mirror around so the shattered glass is facing forward, but keep yourself hidden behind the frame.  You are never to allow yourself be exposed until I tell you different, so you will have to listen for, and follow, any instructions I suddenly call out without allowing your mirrors to do anything but point at our target … which will be Rangor.  Curious as you may be, do not expose yourself for a peek … it could very well be the last thing that you ever do.”
  Just remember.  Do not let the reflective side face the fire before I tell you too, and don’t expose yourself to the fire.  Any questions?”
  “I was wondering why they had handles.” Martin remarked.
  “So was I, but why can’t they face the fire?  Mary asked .
  “They will create a reflection far too early.  We will be seen before we can act.”
   “Oh.”  There was something about Joseph’s answer that didn’t settle too well with Martin, but he said nothing.
  “Joseph!  There are only four of us.  Why were there six mirrors including the one that you smashed?”  Raji noted in a rather childish sulky tone.
  “Spare.” Joseph smiled.
  “You told me that there was only one each.  Why couldn’t I have smashed it then?   It would have given us enough glass to completely fill the plates.”
  “I didn’t want you cutting your fingers off.  Now I want you to … wait … listen!  The chanting has stopped.  You must go now.”
  “Joseph, are you sure that you will be safe?” Mary asked, her genuine concern clearly reflecting across her face
  “Could you please go before it is too late?”
  Mary ran over to him and kissed him on the lips.  As she pulled away, she whispered. “Be careful, my love.”  Then she ran over to join the others as they quickly made their way out of the house and into the car.

********

The witches watched silently from behind the tree as the visitors exited the farmhouse with Martin complaining loudly that it been the waste of a trip and they were going back to the hotel for some drinks.  The witches remained where they were as the Wolseley made its way up the drive, over the rise and towards the road that led to Trenthamville, then they made their way to the front door of the farmhouse and entered the building.  And as they entered the room the dancing fire on the floor increased threefold in size as the power inside the farmhouse grew stronger.  And hiding behind two of the mirrors in the hallway Joseph could sense the events of the night were about to begin in deadly earnest – Rangor was about to arrive … already the smell of death was in the air.