The Marus Manuscripts (9 page)

“He’s not here,” the Old Judge said.

“We’ll see about that,” the officer growled. He directed his men to search the house.

Again the Old Judge stepped forward to block their way to the door. “But it’s so sad that a man as respected as Darien should be hunted like an animal,” he said. “Don’t you find it terribly sad?”

“I don’t find it sad at all,” the officer said. But his eyes filled with tears anyway.

His men began to sob.

“Stop it!” the officer shouted through his own tears. “Don’t you see what’s happening? He’s tricking us!”

The Old Judge gazed at them innocently. “A trick?” he said. “Since when are laughter and tears part of a trick? They are gifts from the Unseen One.”

“Keep your gifts to yourself!” the officer said as he wept. “We have to search this house.”

“Am I stopping you?” the Old Judge asked.

By now, the soldiers had fallen to their knees, their faces hidden in their hands, the tears pouring from between their fingers. The officer, strong though he was, eventually succumbed and also dropped to the ground. The weeping and wailing of the men brought tears to Anna’s eyes, too.

“I’m afraid I’m all out of tissues,” the Old Judge said.

Through heaving sobs, the officer told his men to retreat. “This is humiliating!” was the last thing he cried before they were out of sight.

Within the hour, there came a stern knock at the door. “That would be General Liddell, with King Lawrence not too far behind,” the Old Judge said to Anna. He went to welcome them.

General Liddell stood erect in the doorway, his face red and the scar a sliver of white on his cheek. “The king wants to speak to you,” he said formally. He tapped the handle of the pistol he had tucked in his belt. “I wouldn’t do anything clever.”

“Clever?” the Old Judge said with a smile. “I’m too old to do anything clever.”

Anna followed at a discreet distance as the Old Judge stepped into his front garden and crossed to a large tree where the king waited silently. General Liddell glanced at Anna and gestured for her to stay back. His face registered a moment’s recognition, but then he ignored her.

The king bowed slightly to the Old Judge. “Hello, you old fox,” he said.

“Greetings, my son,” the Old Judge replied as he nodded.

“My royal army doctors are up to their eyeballs in soldiers,” the king said. “One regiment seems to be suffering from severe cramps from laughing too hard. The other can barely see from the soreness in their eyes. Do you know anything about it?”

The Old Judge spread his arms. “What could I know?” he asked.

“Just as I thought,” the king said. “Where is Darien?”

“Hither and yon,” the Old Judge answered.

“He’s under suspicion of treason. You would be committing a crime by harboring a fugitive.”

“Committing a crime against whom?”

“Against your king.”

“
My
king? And who, pray tell, is
my
king? You know to whom I pledge allegiance, and it is no king that I see here.”

Lawrence’s face turned bright red, and he quickly pulled his sword from its sheath. He pointed it at the Old Judge’s neck. “I’m not some fool that you can make laugh or cry, old one!” the king spat. “It would be within my right and my strength to strike you down here and now.”

“Within your strength, perhaps,” the Old Judge said coolly. “But not within your right. You waived that right when you turned your back on the Unseen One.”

“The Unseen One turned His back on
me,”
the king snarled.

The Old Judge frowned. “Is that so? Shall I recall your rebellion in front of this small audience? Do you want your general and this young girl to hear how you willfully disobeyed the One who made you king? I have held my tongue until now, Lawrence, but I will not hesitate to tell the world how you betrayed the ancient ways. And in betraying them, you have betrayed your own people. Where the
blessings of the Unseen One could have been a harvest in your life, His curses will now fall upon you in ways you cannot comprehend!”

The king quivered for a moment as if he might thrust his sword through the Old Judge. The Old Judge simply blinked. An apple fell from the tree and hit the king on the top of his head.

The king looked up, perplexed. “This is no apple tree,” he said. Another apple fell and hit him. Then another. And another. Soon it was raining apples on him. He ran away from the tree. The apple shower followed him. He began to laugh at the absurdity of the situation. Quickly, though, his laughter became uncontrollable. Then tears poured from his eyes. The king was laughing and crying at the same time. He gasped, desperate for breath.

General Liddell pointed his pistol at the Old Judge. “Stop it,” he ordered, “or I’ll kill you.”

“Kill me and it will never stop until the king himself is dead,” the Old Judge responded with a steely gaze.

General Liddell returned the pistol to his belt and asked, “Then what do you want me to do?”

“Take the king away, and he’ll soon be back to his sour self,” the Old Judge instructed. “And never—
never
—return to my cottage. The day that you do will be your last.”

General Liddell, obviously shaken, helped the king, still helpless from his laughter and tears, get onto his horse. Once Lawrence had mounted, he brokenly said to the Old Judge, “Your conjurings won’t stop me, old man. I will find Darien.”

“Perhaps Darien will find
you,”
the Old Judge said.

King Lawrence and General Liddell galloped away.

When the dust of the road had faded into the air, the Old Judge turned to Anna. “I have a mission for you,” he said.

B
almovia, the king’s country mansion, was a sprawling estate with acres and acres of royal forest, marshes, and groves inhabited by royal deer, rabbits, badgers, and other woodland animals. The forest rolled like a thick green carpet to the mansion itself, which stood on top of a hill. The house had more than 100 rooms, a grand banquet hall, a huge library, and endless corridors. It sat on a well-manicured lawn with gardens, adjoining tennis courts, a swimming pool, a maze of intricately carved shrubs, and an archery range. Because the woods were thickest on the side approaching the archery range, that’s where Darien and Kyle ventured first.

“Considering the king’s life is supposed to be in danger, they don’t seem to have many guards around,” Darien observed.

Kyle also noticed the absence of soldiers, police, or security guards watching the area. It seemed that Darien and he could have strolled in as if nothing had ever happened at the banquet the night before.

Through the trees, they could see that someone was practicing on the archery range. They heard the sound of the arrows sailing through the air and the dull thuds of the sharp points hitting a solid target.

“Maybe you should hide here while I go ahead,” Kyle suggested. “If they see me, it won’t matter. They’re not looking for me. But everyone around the house will be watching for you.”

Darien deferred to Kyle’s idea. “I’ll be here,” he said.

Kyle crept to the edge of the forest, staying close to the ground. He hid behind a large tree and peered around it, which gave him a clear view of the field. His heart started to race. Prince George was alone, shooting at the target. Kyle looked up toward the house to see whether anyone there might spot him if he came out to signal George. The angle from the house would make the view difficult if not impossible.

Kyle waited until the prince exhausted his quiver of arrows, then stepped out into the open. At first George looked annoyed at the intruder. “What do you want?” he demanded.

“To speak to Your Highness on behalf of a friend,” Kyle said.

George squinted at Kyle, and then his face brightened with recognition. “Kyle! Good heavens, boy, what are you doing here? Is—?” He stopped himself and looked around to be sure no one could see or hear him. “Is Darien all right?”

“Follow me and you’ll see,” Kyle replied.

George obeyed, following Kyle to where Darien had hidden.

Darien bowed to George and said, “My prince.”

George grabbed Darien and embraced him heartily. “What are you doing here?” he asked. “Why have you taken this risk? I had hoped you’d be miles from here by now.”

“I had to see you. To be sure.”

“I’m so sorry about what’s happened,” George said. “I’m afraid my father has lost his mind.”

“So you don’t believe the allegations in the
Sarum Herald
,” Darien said, relieved.

George looked indignant. “Of course not!” he said. “I’m not privy to my father’s scheming, but I knew he’d gone over the edge when he took a shot at you with that crossbow. I can’t imagine what he was thinking.”

“You’re certain it wasn’t an accident? He’d been drinking . . .”

George frowned at his friend. “Didn’t I warn you that something like this might happen? He’s beside himself with jealousy. I believe something snapped when he heard the crowds calling your name beneath the balcony. All that nonsense in the newspaper was probably concocted by General Liddell.”

Darien sat down on a log. He sighed heavily. “Then the king wants me dead.”

“Dead or arrested,” George said. “Though I doubt there’s much difference between the two.”

The two men were silent for a moment.

“Look, Darien, you have to get out of here—and out of the country,” George continued. “You’re not safe here at all. My father won’t make a public spectacle of his desire to get rid of you, but he’ll work quietly. He’ll send his men after you. He already has, in fact. They went to the Old Judge’s cottage to find you.”

“Where can I go?” Darien asked sadly. “This is my homeland.”

“I don’t know,” George replied with equal sorrow. He gave his mustache a quick brush with the side of his finger. “How about Prince Edwin? The people of Gotthard have always been friendly to you. Remember the fuss they made when you vacationed there last year? You were a celebrity. Prince Edwin himself couldn’t do enough for you.”

The idea seemed to appeal to Darien. “If he can give me refuge until your father’s mind changes, maybe that will be enough.”

“It’s certainly worth a try,” George said. “But I’d stay away from the trains or main roads. My father has spies everywhere.”

A twig snapped loudly nearby. Darien, George, and Kyle all jumped and turned quickly to see if someone was sneaking up on them. It was a deer.

“You must go,” George said, turning back to Darien. “It was foolish to come here.”

“I couldn’t have left the area without knowing for certain that we were still friends, no matter what happens with your father.”

George clasped Darien’s hand in his. “Our friendship is secure, my brother,” he said with feeling. “May the Unseen One be our witness.”

“So be it,” Darien said, smiling.

“Now go,” the prince urged.

Back at the Old Judge’s cottage, everyone sat down for dinner. While they ate, Anna told Darien and Kyle about what had happened to the king’s soldiers and then to the king himself. Kyle was astounded.

Darien cast a troubled glance at the Old Judge. “Is it appropriate to torment the king of our country that way?” he asked.

The Old Judge snorted impatiently. “You deal with the king in your way and I’ll deal with him in mine,” he replied. “Remember, son, that I have known him much longer than you have.”

Darien didn’t reply to that but said, “It’s time to leave. I want to go first to see that my family is all right. After that, I’ll travel to Gotthard. Prince George believes that Edwin and his people will receive me.”

“So they might,” the Old Judge said. “There is a remnant of believers in the Unseen One there.”

“You agree?” Darien asked, surprised.

“Why wouldn’t I?” the Old Judge asked.

“I thought you would probably have another plan worked out—something better from the Unseen One.”

“Something easy, perhaps?”

“Yes.”

“A quick snap of the fingers and everything will be taken care of?”

Darien nodded. “It would be easy enough for the Unseen One.”

“Easy, yes,” the Old Judge said with a smile. “But the Unseen One rarely makes things easy for us.”

“Why not?” Kyle asked.

“Because the Unseen One knows our hearts. When we are given things easily, we dismiss them easily. When the Unseen One makes us work and sweat and struggle a little for what we have, we respect and treasure it.” He turned to Darien. “You will respect your crown when you have struggled to win it.” His face then went dark. “But even your respect will not be enough to keep it on your head.”

Darien groaned. “I’m not even king yet and you’re predicting trouble?”

“I predict nothing,” the Old Judge said. “Know this, however: For all your attributes, Darien, there are weaknesses. Beware your weaknesses. There are those who wait to see them and exploit them.”

Darien waved the warning away. “Enough of this talk,” he said. “I have a long journey ahead of me.”

The Old Judge clasped his hands under his chin. “All of you do,” he said.

“All of us?” Darien asked.

Anna suddenly realized what the Old Judge was saying. “Me, too?” she said.

“Darien, I would like you to make your journey past the town of Dorr,” the Old Judge instructed. “There’s a convent there. Go to Sister Leona. She can help you. It’s important, though, that you don’t explain to her
why
you’re traveling.”

“Then why would I want to go there?” asked Darien.

“Because I want Anna to stay with her.”

“What?” Anna cried out. “Why?”

The Old Judge reached over, laid a hand on her arm, and
explained, “Because your gift is still new and hasn’t been properly developed.”

“Gift?” Anna’s face went alternately red, then white, then red again.

“Do you really think I don’t know about the dreams and visions you’ve been having?”

Anna’s mouth fell open. “You know about that?”

“My dear child, why do you think you are here?” The Old Judge asked the question as if the answer should have been obvious to everyone. He didn’t elaborate further but said, “Now you must go to Sister Leona, for she will help you with your gift.”

Anna looked puzzled. “How?” she asked.

“You’ll find out when the time is right.”

Darien stood up, along with Kyle. “We must leave if we hope to make it to Dorr before daybreak,” Darien said.

Anna hesitated. She knew she had to leave the Old Judge. And only now did she realize how deeply she cared for him. “But sir . . .” she began. She searched for words that wouldn’t come. “I don’t want to say good-bye.”

“Nor do I,” he said warmly. “You have been a breath of fresh air to me, a beautiful light. But it’s necessary that you go.”

“Will we come back?” she asked. “Will I see you again?”

“We are in the hands of the Unseen One. I make no promises, but I hope that one day we will.” His eyes suddenly filled with tears. “I do not envy you your journey, child. It will not be without its share of suffering. But often it is in suffering that we see the ancient ways of the Unseen One most clearly.”

Anna struggled to keep back her tears as they walked to the front door. She hugged the Old Judge quickly. “Thank you,” she said.

“You’re welcome,” he replied warmly.

Darien shook the Old Judge’s hand with silent gratitude. Kyle did the same.

The shadows of dusk surrounded them as they crossed from the house to the edge of the forest. Darien and Kyle looked back to wave at the Old Judge, who stood in the doorway, framed with golden light. Anna kept her eyes forward.