LeOmi's Solitude (31 page)

Many of the other labyrinth victims were
awake, with family standing near.

LeOmi said, “So, he is related to us?”

“Yes, Jesse told me that you both saw him
emerge from the labyrinth.”

“Emerge, yes. Does anyone know how he entered
the labyrinth?”

“That is what we are trying to find out.”
Ruby walked to Vincent DuBose cot and LeOmi followed.

He spoke with a heavy Cajun accent, “Oui,
yes, Un clothes, comprenez-vous?” It was hard to distinguish his
words.

He couldn’t take his watery eyes off Ruby as
she approached. He kept reaching for her and trying to have her do
as he said.

“Go, un vêtements. Rapidement!”

Ruby evaded his grasping fingers.

“Attention everyone, I am Theresa Shadowitz,
Chief Elder of The Seventh Mountain. We are delighted that you have
been rescued from the labyrinth. Many of you have been imprisoned
for many years and have gone through horrors that we cannot know.
Our healers are waiting to examine and talk to each and every one
of you before you leave the grounds of The Seventh Mountain. Please
stay where you are and rest. Hot food is en route. An attendant
will be with you shortly.”

There was a guard posted by their
grandfather’s cot and others were positioned randomly throughout
the Museum.

“Jesse, can I speak with you, Ruby and LeOmi
over here?”

They followed Mrs. Shadowitz over to the
office, “It would seem that your grandfather may have been an
uninvited guest to the Museum.”

“Uninvited?”

“Yes LeOmi. Our records do not state any
reason for him to be here and he will not answer any of our
questions. We must have some questions answered before he can be
released from our care.”

Ruby asked, “Our care? Do you mean the
Healing Ward or the Mattaraw Prison?”

“For now he will be held at the Healing Ward
as will most of the rescued. Once we have more of the labyrinth’s
occupants awake, we will have more knowledge and our path will be
clear.”

“You do mean prison.”

“He will be accountable for his actions.
Whatever they may be.”

Ruby stomped from the office and slammed the
door. She didn’t go to her grandfather. She made her way out the
Museum exit. He watched her through his glassy eyes and rose as to
go with her, but he was stopped by the guard.

Mrs. Shadowitz sadly shook her head after
Ruby’s exit and said, “Sometimes you just get carried along by the
storm. Hopefully that is what has happened here, but until we know,
we must proceed cautiously.”

* * *

The Reports Room was full of people. There
were tables sat up all around the walls and chairs placed in
groups.

A small woman with a clipboard approached
LeOmi, “Do you have an appointment?”

“No, I wonder if I might speak with Mr.
Gunnison.”

“Of course, LeOmi Jones isn’t it?”

“Yes.”

“Just a moment.”

The little woman, the size of an eight year
old, pointed to an empty chair and walked towards the cubbyhole.
She was writing on a sheet from her clipboard. LeOmi followed her.
As soon as she reached the cubbyhole she held up the paper and a
hand reached out and took it.

“Thank you Roberta.” Gunnison stood up from
the other side of the wall.

“Ah, come around Miss Jones.” He pointed to
the doorway.

“Which reason are you here for?”

“Vincent DuBose.”

“Yes?”

“Well, what does your file say about him?
There is obviously a file or else you wouldn’t be guarding
him.”

“Deep breaths Miss Jones.”

LeOmi’s back pack was squirming as she
followed him to his desk.

“Vincent DuBose, native of New Orleans.
Worked at New Orleans Ship works, disappeared about twenty-five
years ago.”

He closed the file, went to a crate and
picked up a bag that was sealed and numbered.

“While the rescued were asleep, they were
bathed and given fresh clothes.” He held up the bag, “This is your
grandfather’s clothes and articles that were removed from his
person.”

LeOmi took the bag and went to open it and he
stopped her.

“Please do not open that. You know what that
smells like. The contents are listed here and it is a clear bag.
Just look through it.”

There was tattered clothing and a signet
ring. Before she turned the ring, she knew what the crest was.

“Enlighten me Miss Jones.”

“I just recently found out that this is my
mother’s family crest.”

“I see.”

There was more fidgeting in the backpack.

She asked, “What do you see?” She leaned in
across the desk and said, “Enlighten me.”

He leaned in to her and said, “This is a
signet design of the Neo-Phylum, placed prominently on your
mother’s family crest.”

“My mother’s family.”

“The same family that you lived with for two
years after your father sent you away.” His voice had risen as he
spoke and they were no longer sitting. There was silence in the
room behind them.

Mrs. Shadowitz stood in the doorway. “I
thought you might come here. Let’s have some tea, shall we?”

As they walked through the room most of the
receptionists were working on their duties but some stared as LeOmi
walked by. She defiantly stared back.

All three were silent until they entered Mrs.
Shadowitz private office, one flight up from the Reports Room.

“Well, I think that went well.” Gunnison
said.

“Leo, your tactics leave something to be
desired. I think you owe Miss Jones an apology.”

“I was just establishing her…”

“Leo!”

“I do apologize Miss Jones, I see now that I
should not have…”

“Used her in that fashion.”

“Yes, should not have used you in that
fashion.”

“This is such dirty business, I will be so
glad when it is over, but let me tell you LeOmi.” Mrs. Shadowitz
stood in front of LeOmi and held both of her hands and looked into
her eyes, “You could not be where you are without your Profession
of Faith.”

Two little faces peeked out on each side of
LeOmi’s head and then quickly retreated after Gunnison stirred
uncomfortably.

Gunnison aid, “The Neo-Phylum won’t be
thinking about hurting her feelings.”

“I know Leo, but we need to show that we are
not like they are. If we start to allow things like that then how
different are we from them?”

Mrs. Shadowitz made three steaming cups of
tea and motioned for LeOmi and Gunnison to sit. “Now, Vincent
DuBose somehow –was in the labyrinth. He will not answer this
puzzle for us and when he found that we had taken his signet, when
others remained, he could only think about getting away as soon as
possible.”

“Bekka contacted your father. He has no
information about Vince DuBose except that he worked in the Ship
works there in New Orleans.”

“Your sister and brother know even less.”

“I had overheard my mother say that he was in
an accident when they asked for the cause of death on my health
records when I enrolled in school.”

“Well, he is not dead. How do you think your
grandmother will feel about that?”

“My grandmother has gotten along without him.
She is quite wealthy, and it appears that she has been for quite
some time, but I never heard her speak of him.”

There was a knock on the door. “Come in
Bekka.” Mrs. Shadowitz nodded towards the tea as she entered the
room.

Gunnison asked, “LeOmi, will you ask your
grandfather why he was in the labyrinth?”

“Why would he tell me?”

He leaned in again, “Bekka tells us that you
have a knife that could have been a family heirloom.”

“So you want me to show it to him to gain his
confidence?”

“Ahhhemm.” Mrs. Shadowitz as looking at
Gunnison.

Gunnison sat up straight, “Something like
that. My men will be very close and as long as you are cautious,
there shouldn’t be any problems.”

“Quintus has assured us that no undetected
metal can cross over the entrance/exit.”

“My team knew when you carried it in and they
knew when you carried it out.”

Mrs. Shadowitz sat down her cup, “LeOmi, may
we see it?”

LeOmi reached into Aaron’s Grasp and pulled
out the Ruby Knife and handed it to Mrs. Shadowitz.

“It is terribly beautiful.”

“Yes, terribly.”

* * *

LeOmi sat on the empty cot across from her
grandfather. His eyes were still watery and glassy. He did not try
to touch her or say anything. LeOmi smiled at him and pulled the
Ruby Knife from her backpack. It was in the sheath that her mother
had worn.

He moved faster than she thought he would be
able to, but LeOmi was faster.

“You know that I am one of your
grandchildren.”

He looked at her and nodded. “A daughter of
my Yvonne.”

“Yes, now tell me, why were you in the
labyrinth?”

He pulled back from her, and then leaned
forward, whispering, “Why are you asking? If you have that knife,
you should already know.”

LeOmi looked down at the knife and then back
to him. His eyes seemed cleared now.

“Perhaps you are unaware of what your mother
knows.”

“Perhaps. Since this is the knife that killed
my mother.”

He pulled back, “Anger makes you lose sight
of your true purpose. The wild animals–they smell blood. Men are
wild animals in the labyrinth. They are reckless, but calculated
when it comes to spilling their life’s juices. Women are generally
freer with their blood.”

“She is dead. How much more free could she
get?”

“Anger?”

“Yes.” LeOmi took a deep breath and calmed,
“Anger.”

“Good.”

“The abductor needs the prisoner. The
prisoner needs the abductor.

The abductor hates and loves the prisoner,
and vice versa. The prisoner hates and loves the abductor, but they
both serve their purpose.”

“So?”

“You hate your mother, yet you love your
mother. Your mother hates you, yet she loves you. You both need
each other, even in death.”

“You have a lot of wisdom.”

“You have time to think in the labyrinth,
when you’re dead.”

Grand-Père took her hands, she pulled away,
but he raised his hand for her to wait and one by one he held her
right hand with his left hand and his left hand with her right
hand. He kept his focus on her.

A guard that stood behind her grandfather
toppled over onto the cot, blood spilling onto the white linens.
LeOmi tried to pull away from Vincent DuBose, but he crumpled
forward, a knife in his back.

Suddenly the Museum was a whirlwind of
activity and Gunnison was hovering over LeOmi, with his sword
drawn. Bekka and Mrs. Shadowitz were at her sides.

“How could this happen, Leo?”

“We had an infiltrator.”

“Here at The Seventh Mountain? One of our
own?”

“It would seem so.”

* * *

Slone had already been there, laid out the
food and disappeared.

LeOmi grabbed some of her usual sandwich
makings and went to sit down beside Gail, the girl who gave the top
of the Nightingale Floors.

Gail smiled and said, “I heard that they
found the lost UT stone, an ancient cloak, an ancient
manuscript—possibly the lost testament of Enoch, lot of old
weapons, a few stones with pictographs and of course the sunstone
and a hodgepodge of other things.”

“Twenty four bags of stuff. Cataloging will
become a major department, at least for a while. Volunteers from
all the other mountains are coming to assist.”

“Did you hear that Mr. Thorpe found Mark
Young by the moat and sent a submarine down to retrieve the
sunstone but left him by the moat?”

“That’s Mr. Thorpe for ya.”

“There were about thirty people left down in
there until Mark brought them up.”

“Mark Young has had a bad–and in some ways,
good, couple of months.”

“Mr. Diefenderfer’s brain damage is healed,
from being in the labyrinth. Isn’t that amazing?”

Slone came into the alcove and he took out a
few things from Aaron’s Grasp and laid them on the front table,
“LeOmi, you are to come up front with me.” He put a chair beside
his.

Then he spoke to the group, “We can now have
the Meeting of the Courts, the formal end to our trial period.
Indigenous followers of a pure or uncombined rank. Natives, Rex and
His Royal Court.

LeOmi’s little voice in her head said,
Oh
no!

* * *

Bekka had her notebook out writing everything
LeOmi told her about Slone’s regal court.

“Well, it would seem that there is no time to
waste, we have to get that Journal open.”

LeOmi took the Journal out of Aaron’s Grasp
and the coneys scurried up the Olive Tree and then came down close
enough to observe what was going on.

“I can’t do it without damaging it.”

“Well, maybe it is time to damage it. By the
way, here is the Ruby Knife.” Bekka held out the knife. “You
dropped it in the Museum.”

“Thanks. I thought it had been taken by
whoever killed Grand-Père or the guard.”

“Let’s look at your mom’s journal again.
Maybe there is a clue as to how to open it.”

“I know that there must be a way to open it,
but I don’t know what it is. From my research at the library, I
know that this eight rayed star indent is the place for the key to
fit and turn. Other keys from the same time period had slots and
prongs to work with the base plate too so we can’t just make a star
shape and hope that it will work.”

“The symbols were just your standard run of
the mill symbols that everyone was using back then.”

“Sunset.” Charlie Goodfellow must have been
on the upper level.

“His shout is especially nice when it is
unexpected.”

“Yes, let’s go.”

They both started clucking their tongues
trying to persuade the coneys to come down. Then as if on cue, an
animal of some type sounded. The coneys quickly, yet reluctantly,
went into the bag.