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the night of the darkness

Episode 73

********

Suddenly. the scene changed into what seemed to be more modern times, though I saw the fat man again; immediately, in fact. Only, this time, he was wearing a very expensive suit, and sporting a most distinguishable silver bracelet and necklace.  He was seated on a bus, currently parked on a quiet, well-worn highway in a barren countryside..  He appeared to be listening intently to the conversation taking place between two men who were arguing at the bus stop. I couldn’t see their faces, nor could I hear their conversation, so I have no idea of their importance in the dream, however, I can tell you that one was was wearing rather dirty, but traditional, dishdasha, while the other was wearing modern day western apparel. The clothing by the man wearing the dishdasha was so filthy I wondered if perhaps he had spent the night sleeping in one of the many caves that existed along the length of the gorgeous mountain that resided beside the empty highway, and that set me to thinking that perhaps these were the same caves I had visited in the earlier dream … so I still don’t know where it is my mind is being taken to. But what may be of interest to you in is the fact that the fat man was using some kind of mini device to listen-in to their conversation. I assume that is what he was doing, because I could see no other use for the apparatus. The two men were too far away for me to see their faces: I could not hear the conversation, but it was obvious that the doppelganger could.’
“Doppelganger?” Mary asked in an incredulous tone. “What do you mean, William?”
“The two fat men were so similar in appearance: in every way. With the exception of their clothing, it would have been impossible to tell them apart. My dream told me that the one in the suit was a reincarnation of the earlier version, but whether that is true, or not I have no idea, however, they certainly had an unbelievable resemblance to each other.   

********

The dream changed again, and this time the fat man was no longer in the bus, but sitting in a car outside Foster’s Farm, while inside the farmhouse men were being killed by a blaze of bullets.

********

Then my vision came back to witnessing you four just as you moved forward towards the circle.  Suddenly, I heard someone behind you calling out – and immediately the vision changed and I found myself confronted by the face that was coming out of the wall.  Closer and closer I felt myself being dragged forward towards this evil thing. I was so close to the creature I could feel the heat of the embers below, and smell the vileness of its breath.  I could see its eyes piercing straight through me, and I could feel the hairs on my neck begin to rise again, as the words that were being called out from behind you identified you four as being thieves. But it was not you, or the faceless person calling out, that the punjaniti was interested in – it was me!  I could feel the sweat starting to run down my face so hard, and so fast, that I was finding it difficult to see for the salt that burned at my eyes.  And still harder it stared.  It was as if it was aware of my presence yet could not yet identify my whereabouts.  Its gaze intensified and my whole body began shaking, when suddenly, it was as if a veil had been lifted and recognition commenced.  A fire started burning in its eyes. Although I was presumably safe at home, I never-the-less turned my body sharply away from the danger I faced as it raised its hand and threw a bolt of red-hot lightning at me.  The blazing spear seemed to explode through the imaginary screen behind my eyelids where I viewed the images.  Incredibly, unbelievably, it changed from a projected vision to reality. My life moved into slow motion.   The projectile of death seemed to float – drift – unerringly through the air – twisting, turning, sparking as it continued its approach. Its course – its destiny … the very centre of my unprotected heart.  
In the illusion of its eternal movement the radiance from the fiery weapon of death created a glow that began first on the wall then appeared to encompass the entire room as it came closer and closer to me.   It was only by a miracle, or perhaps help from a higher source, that saved me.  I know not which, but a split milli-second before that the flame should have struck me, I passed out, and fell to the floor.  I lay there, for God knows how long.   Eventually Jacko found me and brought me to.  He had come in answer to a request from one of the patrons who thought that she had heard a gunshot and could smell something burning inside the conference room.  But before Jacko could help me, he had to use the fire extinguisher to put out the fire that was burning in the rather large hole in the wall – right behind where I had been standing before I fell.  Your guess as to what it means, and what happened, is as good as mine, but I have never felt so scared in my entire life.”
“Are you trying to tell us that the creature that we saw at the farm attacked you, here in the hotel, at the same time that he was killing the witches at the farm?” Mary asked, astonished at William’s suggestion of the impossible.
“Perhaps the the killing of the witches was an accident, perhaps I was the target all the time, the death of the witches was simply collateral damage. I am not certain exactly what happened.  Perhaps you would like to take a look at the conference room and make your own decision?”
“It is possible that was what happened. William may very well have been the target for reasons completely unknown by us,” Joseph agreed, “The sequence of events that William described means that it happened at exactly the same minute that he started the attack on the witches by killing the witch that had outed us. If this is the cloned version of the punjaniti perhaps there was a glitch in his transferred power. Perhaps he did not have the power to transmit the energy to where William was physically residing, and the force of the projectile was absorbed by the witch at the back of the room simply because he was standing in its path.”
“I had thought the missile was aimed at us and the first flame missed us and hit that poor chap behind us.” Martin said as he scratched his head in amazement.  “How much power does this thing have?  To be able to strike at two different targets simultaneously, and one of them so far away from the other, is truly awesome.   I certainly hope that we have permanently prevented it from coming back.
Instead of commentating on Martins words, Joseph looked at Mary for an unnerving length of time before he spoke,
“Mary, did you ever get around to finish reading Vittorio’s diary?”
“Almost … I got a bit distracted the last time I tried, remember?” she teased. Joseph felt a bit embarrassed and flushed slightly, but didn’t respond. Mary simply smiled at Joseph’s discomfort and went on, leaving the others a tad perplexed at their apparently private conversation, “There were a few pages that I couldn’t interpret.  But I ‘m sure that I could, with a little more time.”
“Would you mind awfully doing that now?   We may need your findings in the morning when we see Laurie.”
“You’re going to see Laurie?  Why?  Does he know something that I don’t?”  William asked, his voice displaying tones of hurt and betrayal.
“Why, William, you sound like you’re jealous.  I would have thought with your powers that you would have already known that we were going there tomorrow.  Don’t your guardian friends tell you everything?”  Mary laughed, suddenly feeling justified at her earlier assessment of William as an interloper.
“I told you before,” William stammered, “I use Laurie as he is needed.  He does not have any strength in his limited powers.  You are just wasting your time asking him questions.”
“Don’t burst a blood vessel, William,” Joseph intervened, “you’ve already had one close call tonight.  No need to try to bring on a heart attack.  Nobody’s questioning your abilities.  We needed some information regarding computers and we felt that Laurie’s son was the best one to help us. After all, it was you that had suggested him in the first place..”
“Oh … computer googly gook. Doctor google and his dozen rabbits. Yes, well I suppose that you’re right there.  Couldn’t go past young Robert for that kind of thing – No – You are right on in your thinking.”  William’s tone failed any attempt to camouflage his relief at this revelation of the reason for their visit.   Although William knew that Laurie had some powers he had always felt that they were inferior to his own, Arkerious had tried to ensure him of this fact, but he had never been totally certain. He was getting on in years and, since his wife had died, he had hung on more and more to this belief as a reason for living.  Now, the fear that had run through him when he thought that Laurie knew things that he himself did not, it scared him more than the creature that had tried to kill him.  ‘Perhaps it was time to retire and let his son take over,’ he thought, ‘but not yet.  No – not until this was all over and they were all safe again, but maybe soon.
“William.”
Joseph’s voice broke through the self inflicted fog that had taken control of Williams’s thoughts and snapped him back to the moment.
“Yes? Sorry? Mind ran off the road for a second or two, Can I do something for you, Joseph?”  William’s voice croaked slightly as he answered and he started coughing.
“Are you alright?”
“Yes!  Yes!  I’m fine.”  But he knew that he was lying.  The sooner that this business was over the better it would be.’ he thought.
“William, I want you to tell me what you know about Robert.
“Laurie’s son?”
“Yes.”
“There’s not much to tell really.  He was an above average child ; showed a high intelligence at an early age.  He didn’t want to leave the village, but when he finished his senior year word got out about his results. He found himself pursued by various parties including the Defence Forces and some very influential civilian companies. He chose the Navy because they offered him the chance to follow up on his interest in computers. They paid for his university education; specialising in computer maths, cyber apps and hi-tech decryption, and was attached to their intelligence division where he works as a decoder and code developer.  It’s pretty prestigious from what I can gather.”
“So he really knows a lot about computers?”
“I believe that he is considered to be a genius by those that have worked with him.”
“Is he married or engaged?”
“Not as far as I know.  Why?”
“I am a bit concerned that there may be pressure put on him during his investigation into what I have asked him to do for me.  I was wondering what leverage they could use. Are there any other relatives?”
“Only his cousin Malena. She lives in London as a rule, however, she is visiting at the moment.  But you would know that wouldn’t you? Seeing as how you have just been to Laurie’s.”
“Actually we met her the other day, here in the hotel.  I am glad that you mentioned her because I hadn’t considered her to be in any danger until just now.  Do you have Laurie’s number?”
“I don’t have it etched in my mind, but I can get it for you.”
“If you would, please.”

********

As William set off to his office he almost ignored the figure hidden in the dark shadows of the booth behind where he himself had been sitting, but something suddenly registered in his brain. He abruptly stopped walking and half-turned his body, twisting his neck to enable himself to check the booth out quickly so he didn’t miss any one or thing inside to escape notice. But his educated guess was to prove to be a wasted effort. The fat man had been following in his footsteps from the moment William had passed the booth, and as William turned his body in the direction of the booth, the fat man neatly passed behind William’s half-twisted body and stealthily moved forward to the exit door at the far end of the room. Seeing nothing suspicious in the booth, William turned back just in time to see the exit door at the far end of the room fall back into place. William shook his head and continued on his mission.

********

With William gone from the booth, Martin leant over to Joseph and spoke quietly.          
“What is going on, Joseph? Are you getting more visions?”
“Something like that.  I don’t really understand it, but I can’t help feeling that Robert is going to stir up a hornet’s nest.”
“What makes you think that, Joseph?” Mary whispered.
“The fact that the professor’s computer was bugged. Or, at least, the professor and his brother were both concerned that it was. Remember they both told us in their own way that they had received a warning from one of their fellow researchers that it was more than possible that the computer may be bugged. And more importantly, the devices that were fitted to William;s car were bugs to hear anything we said in conversation on the way to the farm, or where-ever they thought we were going. We may have been giving away our secrets ever since we arrived in the village because we really have no idea who can be trusted, and who may be using us for their own purposes. Using the same philosophy, we can’t guarantee ourselves that we have used what we have found for the right purpose. Remember, we had no real idea what we came to locate and collect had such a deadly following … I will tell you more later, here comes William.”

********

“Here you go, Joseph.” William advised as he handed Joseph a small scrap of paper, and Joseph immediately began entering the number given into his phone.

*******

“Laurie, it’s Joseph … yes … we are fine, thank you.”  Joseph paused momentarily.  “Laurie, I don’t mean to alarm you, but I would suggest that you make certain that you lock up as tight as you can and sleep with one ear open.  It is unlikely that anything will happen, but I just have a funny feeling that something is brewing as a result of our visit, and in particular what Robert is investigating for us. I just want to make sure that the two of you are safe. Is that so? Well, I hope you are right, but please take no risks. There is one adversary that really worries me, and my senses warn me that he is nearby. My biggest concern is that he may try to use Malena to temper Robert’s findings, and we may not have the luxury of being able to work efficiently without all of the information Robert comes up with. Yes, alright, but please be very careful. We will see you in the morning. Goodnight, Laurie.”

********

“What did he say?” Mary enquired as Joseph hung up.
“He thanked me for being concerned about him and Malena, however his two dogs would warn him if anybody was around – then chew them up like scooby snacks.” Joseph laughed.
“I didn’t know he had dog’s.” Mary replied. “They didn’t make their presence felt when we arrived at the house.”
“No, but they may have been well trained. Perhaps Laurie is a dog whisperer. He was expecting us so he may have locked them up after telling them that he had friends about to arrive.”
“Do you really think that someone will go there tonight?  Nobody knew what happened at the farm outside of us.”
Joseph looked at his watch as he spoke, “I really do not know,” he admitted, “but I certainly hope not. There’s nothing more that we can do tonight.” Joseph caught a smile on Mary’s face and added, “Except for Mary finishing off the diary. The smile fell so quickly from Mary’s face that it was a wonder to her that nobody heard it hit the floor.   “So we may as well all get a good night’s sleep.  Goodnight, William.
William was about to mention that he had thought that there had been somebody sitting in the next booth, but he quickly realised that he hadn’t actually seen anything other than the door closing at the far end of the room. He had no idea who had passed through it. ‘It could have been anybody‘. ‘he thought, ‘After all there are still punters in the room.’ So he dismissed the notion from his mind in its entirety. “Goodnight, Joseph. Give me a call if you need me for any reason tomorrow.”
Mary also said goodnight to William as she and Joseph began to head towards their respective rooms, but Martin, however, decided to stay for one more drink.
“Oh!  And, William,” Joseph turned in William’s direction just before he left the room, “something that you might be interested in – Laurie was expecting us when we arrived unannounced, and he already had Robert on the computer waiting for us … and he too had a vision to be told, but it was nothing like yours. I just thought that you may like to know.”
As Joseph turned and continued on his way to his room, William felt a slight pang in his heart. He now knew for certain that the time was coming.  Laurie was not increasing his power.  The guardians knew that he, William, was dying, and they needed to ensure that they had a host that they could use until his son returned to the village and took over. Either that, or the guardians were covering all angles to ensure that the Punjaniti would be destroyed.  Whichever, he felt relieved in his own mind that he was again in tune with things.  He smiled as he walked over to his private bar and poured two large drinks for Martin and himself before returning to the booth.

********

As they approached Mary’s room, Joseph reached out and took Mary’s hand in his and spun her around to face him.  Her lip was pouting and her eyes refused to face his, preferring to stare at the floor. “If you wish, I’ll take notes while you decipher.”  Mary’s face lit up and her eyes sparkled as she agreed that would be wonderful.  And she knew that it would be.